Those Green Eyes
by Infernal Blossom
Summary: Lies will be told. Families will be reunited. Friendships will be made. Secrets will be revealed. Lives will be lost. Love will be found. And it all started when he saw those green eyes... BEING REWRITTEN: Sting of the Scorpion's Kiss
1. Sweet 'N Sour

**Note: **I do not own Dante or Devil May Cry. They belong to Capcom.

* * * * *

It came as a surprise to everyone. Few people had lived in the town before, and now with Dante's demon-slaying business there, Elenay City began to flood with people. It was as if his business had saved the town from becoming a wasteland. And surprisingly, there hadn't been many demon attacks since his return from Fortuna. But he didn't care. For once, Dante had time to just sit back and relax.

But to him, just sitting and relaxing was boring. He wanted excitement. He wanted action. And he wanted it now. The white haired man decided a night at the bar was desperately needed, since he hadn't been there in a while. But he didn't want to go alone, he hated that. His hand reached for the phone and called Trish.

"Hello?" A woman's voice said through the other line.

"Hey babe. You wanna hit the town tonight?" His tone was as cocky as ever.

"You know I can't, Dante. I told you this morning that I was handling that job over in the next town, remember?"

"Tch. Forgot about that." His blue eyes shrunk to a slit. "Any idea if Lady's available?"

"She took a job last night, so I doubt she'll be back until tomorrow."

"Damn," Dante cussed in a low tone. "So what, I'm supposed to go out by myself?

"Do whatever you want. I have to go now, more demons are beginning to appear." And with that, the phone line went dead.

He hated this. He hated this a lot. Of everything he despised in this world, going to a bar or club by himself was what the demon slayer hated most. He usually went everywhere with either Lady, Trish, or even Nero. Having neither of the women around made him feel like the only loser. And he would've asked the kid, but Nero had a date with Kyrie. Then again, he'd rather be out of his office, alone or not. After taking a quick shower and throwing together an outfit, Dante studied himself in the mirror. Sexy as usual. He stepped out of Devil May Cry and hopped onto a motorcycle. Dante roared down the streets until his icy blue eyes caught sight of an interesting place. There were quite a few people were going inside. Bingo. There was his place, The Crimson Flame.

The demon slayer managed to get in the bar after waiting on a short line, and he immediately saw why a line had begun to form. This place was packed. Tons of men and women were here, enjoying a drink and the company of his friends. Yeah, THAT made him feel better. He headed straight for the bar and sat down on one of the stools, leaning back against the raised counter top.

"Gimme the best you've got," he told the bartender. He hadn't gotten a little drunk in a good while. The person behind the counter nodded silently, grabbing the money being handed off by her customer. He felt her hand lightly brush against his, and it caused a small shiver to travel down his spine. The feeling made him turn around so he wouldn't be surprised again. But he did, staring at the bartender. She was a stunning one. Jet black hair slightly covered the woman's face, flipping out to the sides. Dante's icy blue eyes caught sight of her eyes, which were a shocking light green. Her light skin stood out from underneath her dark clothes, which showed off all her curves. He'd seen hot women- hell, he worked with two- but he'd never seen one that sent chills all through his body. He watched as she flipped some bottles around, crushed some mint leaves and mixed them all together in a martini glass.

"There you go." Her voice was the one thing that was as seductive as her eyes. She set the glass down in front of Dante, who picked it up and sipped the soft green tinted liquid. The crushed mint leaf gave it a sweet kick, making a strange feeling travel down his throat. It almost had the same feeling as the woman's skin.

"That's a damn good drink," he commented, making her smile. "What do you call this thing, anyway?"

She began to put the bottles back on their proper shelves and started to prepare another drink. "That, my friend, is the one and only 'Sweet n' Sour' martini. Prepared and served only here." Her hand grabbed the now empty glass, but Dante's muscular hand stayed wrapped around it. She stared at their hands, then at his eyes. He wanted another round.

"Trust me, one's all you need for a single night." He looked at her, confused.

"Aw, come on, babe. This drink doesn't seem so sour to me." The woman behind the counter began to laugh a little.

"Oh, you'll see the sour side of it come tomorrow." The white haired man rolled his eyes, which made her laugh even more. He talked with her for about an hour more, then decided he'd hit the hay early. It wasn't like he'd get a customer anyways. His motorcycle roared to life and zoomed down the road, heading back to his shop.

* * * * * * * *

Dante's eyes slowly began to crack open, glimpsing at the rays of daylight. Had he overslept? Did Trish or Lady try to call him last night? And why the hell did his head ache so bad? He lazily rolled on the bed until his feet were planted on the floor. He was half awake, but fully aware that his favorite leather coat lay near the doorway, blood splattered all over it. It wasn't his blood. No, it reeked like demon's blood.

"Aggh..." The scent was strong, and it was making his headache worse. He couldn't figure out how the blood got onto his coat in the first place. "Let's see..." he wondered. "I went to the bar, had the drink that woman made me-" his cheeks slightly flushed when he thought about her seductive voice and eyes- "...Then I left the bar, and..." That was all he could remember from last night. Nothing else. She was right, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He'd felt the effects of the 'Sour' half from the drink. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing on the floor below. As he began to get dressed, he swore he heard the sound of footsteps in his office. A customer? He wouldn't know for sure until he saw for himself.

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Wootz~! First chapter's up! Chapter 2 coming soon. Tell me what you think.

~Inferno-chan


	2. That Woman

Dante ran downstairs, hearing the phone ringing louder. The more it rang, the more annoyed he became. The floor creaked as the half demon made his way to the phone. His hand picked up the receiver and lifted it to his head.

"Devil May Cry," he said to the other line. No answer. "Hello?" Still nothing. If there was anything that really pissed him off, it was getting a crank call after he'd woken up. "I swear, if this is a crank call-"

"You'll kill me?" a voice said from behind him. Dante turned around, seeing someone at the door. She had a smirk on her face, her eyes hidden beneath a pair of sunglasses. Her dark brown hair flipped out to the sides, slightly covering a phone next to her ear.

"Nice, Lady," the silver haired man replied in a sarcastic tone. She walked toward him, laughing a little, the phone now in her pocket. "You just love to screw with me, don't cha?" He set the receiver down, still annoyed from Lady's trick. She leaned against the desk, setting Kalina Ann and a briefcase on the ground.

That ass of a job was worth it," she told him when he pointed to the briefcase. Lady pulled it up from the wood floor and opened it, revealing a load of money. "15 grand." Dante let out a low whistle. She closed the case, laying it next to her on the desk. "Any new jobs come in?"

"Nope, not since the one Trish took." The blue eyed demon slayer sat at the desk, propping up his feet. "So since you're not working tonight, how about we go out somewhere? There's this nice bar-" Dante stopped abruptly when he saw Lady shaking her head.

"Not tonight. This last job wore me out pretty bad." She got off the desk, heading for the couch. "If I fall asleep, don't get any ideas," she pointed to him. He rolled his eyes at the demon huntress, getting up and walking toward the door.

"Sleep if you want. I'm heading out of this boring shack." Before she could answer, Dante was out of Devil May Cry and riding his motorcycle to nowhere in particular. "Looks like I'm on my own again..." Then he remembered the bartender from the night before. That woman. A smile instantly formed on his face. She'd keep him company, right? He turned on the next intersection, headed for the Crimson Flame.

Walking into the bar, his eyes immediately began to scour the room for the green eyed beauty. He spotted his woman sitting at the counter. Someone else was serving drinks. Oh well. She was here, and that was he'd come here for in the first place. Dante grabbed the seat next to her and ordered a beer. The black haired woman glanced in his direction, hearing his familiar voice.

"I see you're holding up well," she said to him. "Usually, I don't see a customer for three days after they've had my drink." The woman turned her whole body around so she was facing him. His icy blue eyes met with her shocking green ones. They had most of the same look as yesterday, but something was a bit different about them.

"Yeah, well, it still fucked with me," he replied. "I woke up this morning, not being able to remember what the hell happened on my way home last night." Dante paused, sipping his beer. "I guess you were right about the 'sour side', miss...uhh..."

"Azera," she finished for him, bringing her hand up from her glass. Her eyes remained fixated on his.

"Dante." He placed his hand in hers. To Dante's surprise, the woman had a strong handshake. "So, is it your day off or something?" He caught sight of her lips slightly curving downward, her eyes staring at her glass.

"Nah, I needed to get off work early... My asshole of a boyfriend dumped me." The half breed's hand slowly landed on top of hers, attempting to comfort her. The feeling made her face flush a little, and a smile returned on her face. "I'm alright though. Found out the real reason he broke it off, then gave him a nice kick in the balls to remember me by." Azera began to giggle a little, reliving that moment in her mind.

"You're a strong woman," she heard Dante say to her, "and I really admire that in a girl." Hearing those words made her blush a bit. She was about to say something back to him, but a loud sound distracted her. Both Azera and Dante turned their attention to the bar's entrance. A group of four men made their way toward the woman at the counter. The man in front had blonde hair that reached just under his chin, and brown eyes hidden underneath it. As he got closer to her, Azera leaned closer to the man on the other side of the counter.

"Gus," her low voice spoke to him, "I want you to make sure everyone stays near the exit. And whatever you do, stay out of my way and don't fire me."


	3. Barfight

Content rating for this chapter: M- for language and for the awesome fight to come.

**Note: **Devil May Cry is owned by Capcom, not me. And sadly...so is Dante. But Azera and the Crimson Flame...yeah, those are mine. xD

**Re-cap:**

_Dante, our sexy half breed demon slayer, met Azera, a bartender at the Crimson Flame with the most incredible pair of eyes he ever saw. He began talking with her when they were suddenly interrupted by a group of men entering the bar. Azera immediately knew it meant trouble, so she asked the owner and her friend to keep everyone near the entrance..._

* * * * * * * *

Gus, who turned out to be the owner of the Crimson Flame, did as Azera requested and moved everyone to the entrance. Dante moved closer to her, talking low into her ear.

"Who is this bastard?" he asked. Seeing the look in the man's eyes was making his blood boil. He saw many things in the chocolate brown irises, some of which made him sick. Azera leaned back a little, keeping her eyes on the blonde man.

"That's Scott, the asshole who dumped me after I found out he was fooling around with other women." Dante attempted to pull out Ebony & Ivory and approach them, but the green eyed woman wrapped her hand around his wrist. "No, Dante. I can handle this myself. You just stay put and don't pay attention to him." Reluctantly, he did as he was told. But he kept sight of the woman next to him and the men in front of her.

"Well well well..." Scott's voice boomed," if it isn't my beautiful woman Azera." The way he said her name made her want to grit her teeth. "What happened, baby? You kicked me in my balls this morning and ran off." He began to play with her jet black hair, running his fingers through it. His 'baby' turned around, giving him a cold stare.

Azera crossed her arms, her stare growing colder by the second. "What the hell gives you the right to call me yours? You broke up with me. And then I found out you were sticking your dick into other women. That's why I kicked you in the balls, Scott. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go back to my drink." After telling him off, she moved back to her original position next to Dante.

The two of them whispered something to each other, making the blonde haired man more pissed than he already was. "I see you've already gone ahead and sold yourself to someone." That struck a nerve in both of them while his posse behind him laughed. But on the other hand, it gave Azera an idea. It would cause her ex to see red, which was absolutely hilarious to her. Of course, she had no clue toward how Dante would react. Oh well, she'd know in a moment.

"In fact, yes I have." All the guys immediately fell silent and stared at her. Everyone, including Dante and Scott, went into complete shock when they saw the green eyed woman do something totally unexpected. She held the silver haired man's face in her hands and gradually moved her face closer to his. Their lips were just about to touch...

It worked sooner than expected. Azera could hear Scott's uneven breathing, and could feel the angry heat radiating off of him. She let Dante go and just stared at the man standing before her, crossing her arms again. "...You little whore..."escaped from his lips. The words didn't phase her at all. It was just like wind blowing by. The next phrase that she said really got to him.

"I'd rather be his whore than your girl any day." Scott immediately went from angry to furious. Did she seriously say what he thought she said? There was no chance in hell that he'd let some girl, especially HER, embarrass him in public. His right hand, already made into a fist, tightened and raised above his head. "Bitch, nobody makes a fool out of me!" he yelled, crashing his fist against Azera's face. The force of his punch knocked her off the barstool and into the middle of the floor, leaving her seemingly unconscious.

"Azera!" Dante got up from his stool and only had to take a step before Scott had his hands around his throat. "Oh, no... YOU'RE not going anywhere buddy!" The enraged blonde slammed his next victim against the wall, tightening his grip around his neck. The demon slayer was slowly beginning to lose air. Damn, this guy was strong for a human. He was pressed so hard on the wall that he couldn't reach for either of his handguns. For one of the few times in his life, Dante couldn't fight back. Then, he saw hands grab Scott's arm and heard a voice he thought was silenced.

"Don't you know it's wrong to lay your hands on a woman?"

The husky blonde slowly rotated his head and watched as the world suddenly spun before his brown irises. Next thing he knew, Scott was on the ground, his arm pulled behind him and a boot on his back. He couldn't move his head; the position his arm was in prevented him from doing so. The jaws of his crewmen dropped when they saw Azera, fully conscious, holding Scott down. Her eyes seemed to be an even lighter green than before, one that pierced straight through the men and made them quiver for a moment. A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her right cheek was a bit red and slightly swollen from when she'd been punched.

"What are you idiots doing?" Scott yelled at them. "Get this bitch off of me!" Being taken out of their fearful trance from the woman's eyes, the three men went after the black haired woman standing on top of her ex lover. But when they reached out to grab her, Azera had jumped through the air to avoid them, landing on the counter. She extended both her arms to the sides, taking both her and Dante's drinks and pouring them down her throat in one move. "Aahhh..." she sighed after gulping the last drop of beer from his bottle. "Now I can really have some fun." The men started after her again, each missing the chance to grab her by less than a second when she leaped off the counter. They all turned around and went after her once more, making sure to form a circle around her.

The first on Azera's list to get rid of was the man to her left. He towered over the 5' 7" woman, but she didn't seem the slightest intimidated. His giant dark skinned hands went to grab her. Unfortunately for him, she reacted quickly and threw his body over her, impacting with the guy on her right. Next was the one who stood in front of her. He took a shot at taking her down by the legs, failing horribly. The heel of her boot made contact with his face. And just to make sure he was knocked out cold, she grabbed his shirt collar and collided her skull with his. His sinewy body made a loud thud when it hit the floor. Three down, one to go.

She walked back to Scott, who had managed to get himself back up. He still had that same look in his eyes. Her light green orbs saw right through what he was planning to do. He aimed a jab at her. Just as she thought. Everyone watched as Azera timed her maneuver perfectly, leaning far back, farther than was thought possible. Her palms brushed onto the floor and lifted her legs in an upward spin. Every movement felt to be in slow motion to those who stood watching on the sidelines. The bottom of her leather boots pushed off of Scott's chest, her heels ripping into the skin of his neck. He hit the wall at the same time his ex landed lightly on her feet. Azera scowled at him, disgusted at how pathetic he'd become.

"By the way," she told him, giving him that same cold stare from earlier, "I let you hit me. So now that you know I mean business, I want you and your little goons over there to get the hell outta my bar and my life." She strolled next to the other three, also giving them her death stare. "And if I EVER see you around here or my apartment again, I'll kick your nuts so hard that they'll be permanently shoved up your asses. Now go before I decide now whether or not to let you have kids!" Her anger scared them shitless and they ran out of the bar.

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Aren't barfights just soo much fun? xD

And the line where Azera says "I'd rather be his whore than your girl anyday" was inspired by the original line from the movie _Titanic,_ where Rose tells her fiance, "I'd rather be his whore than your wife." I just love that line~! Of course, credit for the original line goes to the movie.

Anyways, please send me a review~!


	4. The First Night

**Note: **I don't own Devil May Cry or, sadly, Dante. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera and the Crimson Flame.

**Re-cap:**

_Azera's ex boyfriend Scott strolled in the Crimson Flame, thinking he could just take her back. But much to his surprise, she not only embarrassed him by telling him off, she also beat the crap out of him AND his gang. After having been told off one last time, everyone watched as they ran out like scared little puppies. And Dante saw the whole thing from the sidelines._

* * * * * * *

'Damn,' he thought to himself, 'she could kick some serious ass!' His blue orbs stayed fixed on Azera, still amazed at what had gone down. She was as rugged as Lady and Trish. He watched her walk over to him, kneeling next to her friend.

"Sorry about that," she said to Dante. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" The swirls of anger that once inhabited her eyes were long gone, replaced by the content look he knew. His sight was drawn down to her cheek. The swelling had already begun to subside, as if she'd never been punched in the first place. And the trail of blood from the corner of her mouth... it was gone too. She didn't carry the demon scent on her. Just who WAS Azera exactly?

"Nah, I'm fine," he answered her. He decided to let this go; his mind was probably still feeling a little of 'sour' effects from the martini he had the night before. Maybe she just knew a trick to get rid of the product of a punch to the face. Whatever it was, Dante didn't think to worry about it. "But damn, girl! You were awesome!" He got up from the floor, seeing the results of her little scrap. To his amazement, Azera had been very careful to make sure nothing would be destroyed, not a single glass. There was only a single trail of blood on the floor, from when her heels dug into Scott's skin and cut him. Other than that, everything else was intact.

The sound of people cheering interrupted his thoughts. People ran up to Azera, patting her back and thanking her. Gus, now standing next to his employee, was smiling at her. "Azera, I never knew you were able to pull off something like that. You know, the bar could use those other skills of yours to get rid of the angry drunks. You'd get paid extra." A big grin instantly came to her face. "Yes! Of course I'll-" The green eyed woman suddenly felt a rush surge to her head, stumbling back a few steps before feeling a muscular hand on her shoulder blade.

"Woah, easy there babe." Dante wrapped his arm around Azera's waist, making sure she didn't fall over. He saw her lift her hand, placing it on her forehead. She squinted her eyes, feeling the pain flow through her veins. "Ah damn... I must've hit my head harder than I thought." Her boss added to her statement, "That, and the seven rounds of Bacardi you had. You should go home and rest." But she protested, pushing off of Dante and trying to stand on her own. "Gus, I'm fine. It's just a little bump on the head, nothing to...worry.....about..." That 'little bump on the head' proved to be a lot more when Azera passed out, her face landing on Dante's chest. He picked up the unconscious woman bridal style and headed for the door. "I'll bring her home. Don't worry, she'll be safe with me." He left the bar and headed for Devil May Cry.

Dante kicked the front door open with his foot, strolling into the shop. Looking at the couch, he found it empty. Lady probably used the "I'm tired" line just to get him to leave her alone. Well, at least she wasn't here to nag him. He needed the peace and quiet for once. The devil hunter carried his black haired beauty up the creaky flight of stairs to his room. To his surprised, she hadn't awakened yet. Seven rounds of Bacardi, his beer AND a barfight. All within a few hours. She was bound to be out until morning. He entered his room and carefully placed Azera on his bed, sitting beside her. He was able to get a better look at her now. Every inch of her skin was flawless, down to the tips of her fingers. Her lips had a soft pink hue to them. And he didn't notice until now, but she had a chain around her neck. An amulet laid on her chest, connected to the thick silver chain. It was emerald, cut and secured to a thin silver plate. It looked a lot like his own. More questions arose in his mind, but he couldn't ask them now. Exhaustion was beginning to overpower him. The silver haired man laid next to the girl and slowly fell asleep.

That was the first night he saw HER. Not Azera...but another woman.

His eyes shot open suddenly. He'd had a dream, one that was unbelievable on so many different levels. Dante rubbed his eyes and leaned to his left to see if Azera was still asleep. She wasn't even there. In her place was a piece of paper, with what seemed to be her handwriting on it. He rubbed his icy blue orbs again and read the paper.

_Thanks for taking care of me. Don't worry, I'm safe at my apartment. I picked up your motorcycle for you and parked it in front of your place. Again, thank you for making sure I didn't end up on some stranger's porch. I owe you one._

_P.S.: Your room could use some cleaning._

_~Azera_

He couldn't help but smirk after reading her words. Then out of nowhere, a demonic scent hit him hard. There were a lot of them, and close. "Man, the things that keep me up at night..." he complained in his husky voice. His hand grabbed Rebellion's hilt, picking up the iron and steel sword. He opened his window and jumped out. Once on the ground, Dante could see the demons whom had kept him up. There were four Scarecrows. Easy, lower-level demons. He massacred them in one move. But as he turned to leap back up through his window, another demonic stench made him freeze. He slowly turned back and saw a new demon, the likes of which he'd never seen before. "Well would you look at this..."

It had the form of a woman's body, curvy and voluptuous. Long, wavy silver locks sprouted out from her head and reached to the middle of her back. Black scaled skin, resembling armor, barely covered her breasts and between her thighs. Her skin was a medium tone of gray. From the knees down, her legs changed into heavy boots that grew out spikes from all around. The skin on both her arms got darker as it went down, going completely black at the tips of her fingers. Her right hand, unlike the left, became something like Nero's Devil Bringer. Only with her, dark red electricity and a translucent black aura surrounded her gauntlet-like hand. And if all this wasn't enough to give the demon slayer a little chill, her face was. The corners of a blood red pair of lips curved upward. Her eyes were completely black, except for the irises that matched the color of her lips.

"Aren't you a pretty little one..." he cooed, cautiously approaching her. She met him halfway, her steps nimble and light. Dante hated to admit it, but he was a bit attracted to this fiend. Besides Nevan and Trish, she may have been the sexiest demon he'd ever encountered. Too bad her looks wouldn't last the night. "You know, I'd bring you back upstairs with me if I didn't have to kill you right now." Saying this, Dante grasped Rebellion's handle with both hands and pulled it up from the ground, swinging down at the demon. He assumed he'd sliced up the female demon, but found out he was wrong when he heard a voice behind him.

"So THIS son of Sparda wants me too. How cute..." She spoke with two simultaneous voices, each having a different pitch. Dante turned around to go for another attack, but she had vanished. The female demon reappeared when he turned back, astonishing him. "What's that supposed to mean, babe? I'm the only son of Sparda in this world." He swung once more, only to miss her again. This was starting to piss him off. Dante lunged at her again and again, Rebellion missing the demon's body by a split second every time. "Dammit, woman, hold still!" He performed Stinger, stabbing his sword at her. But as it had been in this fight, he missed his target. "I must retreat for now," she said to him, "but I'll be back to play again, son of Sparda." The demon disappeared into the night, leaving Dante pissed and tired. He stood in the street for a moment, catching his breath. She wore him out. He climbed up the fire escape ladder and went back into his room, crashing on the bed.

"What the hell did she mean?" he mumbled. She said that 'this son of Sparda' wanted her too. But as far as Dante knew, he was the only son left. His brother was long gone, for almost three years now. As he pondered on it, the silver haired man dozed off into a quiet slumber.

* * * * * *

Inside a large room surrounded by stone walls, two dark figures had gathered together.

"You, young man, will gain great power," a deep voice spoke.

Hearing these words, a pair of light blue eyes flashed at the source of the voice.

* * * * * * * *

Ooh, the beginning signs of a battle to come. I can't wait~!

Please send me a review~!


	5. Plans and Partners

**Note: **I do not own Dante or Devil May Cry. They belong to Capcom. But I do own the Crimson Flame, Azera and the mysterious demon.

**Re-cap:**

_Dante and Azera had one wild night. Azera passed out after getting drunk AND beating four buff men to a pulp. Dante fought a group of demons in the middle of the night, including one with some serious looks. And somehow, these events all seem connected..._

* * * * * * * *

"...And just how great will this power be?" the young man asked, keeping his face shrouded in a hooded cloak. Through the shadow it cast, his icy blue irises glowed.

The source of the deep voice, also hidden in a shadow, answered him. "Let's just say...that your power will be much greater than than of the demon knight Sparda." A pair of orange lights emitted from the shadow. Slowly, a figure stepped out into the light, revealing a pair of orange eyes. He wore dress shoes and a dark blue suit. His flaming red hair was slicked back. If it weren't for his golden skin, pointed teeth and dark red electricity flowing from the ring he wore, he would've been seen as a mortal instead of a demon.

A smirk came across the blue eyed man's face, but quickly disappeared. "So what's the catch, Nyorexs? There has to be something you want out of this." The golden demon chuckled and replied, "My dear boy, there is no catch. I just wish to see the world fall apart, that's all. And I know of your hunger for power. So I'm willing to provide you with anything you need to bring everyone to their knees...including a partner."

A partner? "I don't require a partner," the man in the blue coat stated. "The only reason I'm accepting your help is because you're giving me everything I need to reach my goal. I don't need someone to get in my way." Moonlight shone through the large window of the room. Nyorexs looked out the window, his demonic eyes staring at the ground.

"Trust me on this. A female companion will be your deadliest weapon. She will follow your every order without question. Her looks will be able to make any demon succumb to her, instantly giving you even more power. And when the entire planet falls, you will have a queen to rule beside you." The red haired man placed his hands behind his back, the corners of his lips curving up. "I think you will be pleased, descendant of Sparda. Enter!"

The only door in the room creaked open. Light footsteps walked in, approaching the cloak covered man. His face was still concealed by the black hood. His light skinned hand reached for his waist. He'd forgotten that he no longer had his katana. He had nothing to defend himself with if this woman were to launch at him. But she didn't. Armor like scales covered parts of her body, leaving most of her gray tinted skin exposed. Her blood red lips were arced upward.

"You look just like your brother," she whispered to him in her double voice, "except I actually like what I see." The female demon circled her new partner, then stopped in front of him and bowed. "Nyorexs named me Calvaro, but you may call me whatever you wish..." She stood back up to her full height, her blood red eyes meeting his icy blue ones. "...Master..." Calvaro said this with a seductive tone, which sent a vibe through the man. He slowly pulled the hood off his head, revealing his face to her.

"Please, call me by my real name."

* * * * *

"Wake up, you lazy ass!" a blonde haired woman shouted to the sleeping demon slayer. Her blue eyes stared at Dante, who was snoring loudly. "God..." She took a step back, then ran forward and kicked him in his side. He woke up, but couldn't stop himself from slamming into the wall. After a moment he got up, seeing the person who'd interrupted his sleep.

"I see you're finally back, Trish." Dante cocked his head to the side, cracking his neck. "Ah, that felt good. So how much money did you make?" She dropped a briefcase next to his nightstand, hearing it hit the floor with a thud. "23 grand," she answered, leaving the room. He could hear her voice down the hall. "You'd better hurry downstairs, Dante. Lady heard something and she's pissed."

After showering and getting dressed, he met the two women in the main office. Lady was pacing the floor, her arms crossed. Trish sat on top of his desk, tapping her heel against the wood. "We've got a problem, Dante," Lady told him in a stern tone. "I got a cancellation call this morning on that job I was supposed to leave for tonight. The old man hired someone else for the job." She continued to pace the floor. "And if that's not bad enough, Trish got the same call from one of her customers." The demon slayer sat on the chair behind the desk, propping up his feet.

"Any idea who this person is?" he asked his business partners. They both shook their heads. No clue. He shrugged his shoulders, getting up to grab a beer. "So we have some free time now. We can hit the town tonight." He sipped from the bottle and heard the women snickering. "Hey, what's so funny?"

The women ignored Dante, trying to hold back from laughing too hard. The blue eyed man got up again to grab some leftover pizza, still staring at them. "Why don't you tell us about your new girlfriend?" He did a spit take, shocked. "...Come again?" he asked, his cheeks slightly reddened. Lady reached into her pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper, unfolding it. She turned it so he could see the script handwriting on it. Dante's eyes widened a bit. Oh no...they hadn't read it, had they? The women cracked up, seeing his face. He ripped the paper from Lady's grasp and shoved it into the desk drawer. "Yeah, yeah...hilarious."

"So..." Trish started, "What's this Azera girl look like?" He was immediately bombarded with questions about Azera. "Is she good looking?" "When did you start seeing her?" "Where's she work?" "Have you kissed her yet?" "How long did it take to get her in your bed?"

"Alright, alright!!!" he shouted, pushing them away to give himself some space. "I'll introduce you to her if you shut up." He stood up and headed for the door, Lady and Trish following behind him.

The trio walked all the way to the Crimson Flame. "She works here?" the brunette headed woman asked. They walked inside and found it to be busier than usual. Dante pushed through the swarm of people, making his way to the granite counter. He spotted Gus near the collection of alcohol, but no Azera. "Hey, Gus," he shouted over the music. The tan haired bartender looked from his work station and saw the devil hunter. "Oh hey, Dante." He set down the bottle of vodka and turned to him. "What can I do you for?" Dante took a seat on an empty barstool, leaning his arms on the granite. "I actually came looking for Azera. Is she around?" The bartender shook his head and replied, "No, Azera isn't in town. She called in this morning and said something about family business. She'll be back in three days, though." Dante nodded and thanked Gus, leaving the bar with his partners.

"Aw man, I really wanted to meet her." They were back at Devil May Cry, playing some pool. "I guess we'll have to wait until she returns," Trish murmured. The cue ball clacked against the solid blue ball, shoving it into the corner pocket. She went to make another shot, Lady and Dante watching her take over the game. "You never answered my question," Lady told him. Dante rolled his eyes. Here we go again. "How long have you two been going out?" He leaned against the wall and mumbled something incoherent. "What was that?" the blonde woman asked him. He sighed and spoke louder so they could hear him. "I said, I never even asked her out." The two women became silent, glancing at one another, then grinning. Trish laid her pool stick on the table. "Is that so?" She strolled up to him, the grin never leaving her face. Dante raised an eyebrow at the demon who resembled his mother. "Just what are you planning, Trish?" Lady caught on and stood next to the blue eyed woman. "Oh, you'll see..."

* * * * *

The last of the Marionette demons fell to the ground, dead. The sword used to slay them was placed back into its sheath on someone's hip. A dark plum overskirt provided a cushion between the silver blade and her slender leg. The young woman walked past the deceased creatures, kicking one hard to make sure it stayed dead. Her strides stopped in front of an older gentleman and his wife.

"Thank you, young miss," he politely said to her. "I can't imagine what would've become of my crops if you didn't come here. We owe you a great deal."

Her hand reached up to her face, the top half of it concealed by a mask. She pulled off the piece of plastic, showing her shocking green eyes.

* * * * * * * * *

More things have been revealed. A new demon is out to take over the human realm. Trish and Lady found out about Dante's new little friend. And someone with a familiar pair of green eyes seems to be living a double life...

Please send me a review~!


	6. Negotiations

**Note: **I do not own Devil May Cry or Dante. They belong to Capcom.

**Re-cap:**

_In the last chapter, a group of demons began to plot the world's demise. Nyorexs, the ring leader of the plan, set up a blueprint for his plan. He decided to use Calvaro, the red eyed succubus, and another whom had icy blue eyes._

_Meanwhile, the Devil May Cry trio discovered that someone had been stealing their jobs. Dante kept his cool, until the women told him how they'd found out about Azera. They bugged the half demon until he agreed to introduce her to them, but when he went to the Crimson Flame to find her, he learned that she'd left town for a few days. Lady and Trish saw this as an opportunity to put their little scheme into action._

_And on a small farm, a woman with a familiar pair of green eyes was getting paid after slaying a group of demons..._

* * * * * * *

"You seriously got paid 45 grand?" a male voice asked her over the phone. "And just for slicing up a few demons?"

"Mhm." She kept a sturdy hand on the steering wheel, holding her cell phone in the other. "Noah, you should know this job pays a lot." Her head tilted to the side, cushioning the phone between her ear and shoulder. She reached her hand for the stick shift.

"And you should know I quit that business after I got married, sis," he replied. "I couldn't keep that kind of job after the kids were born." His sister knew that. After his wedding and the coming of her niece and nephews into the world, her brother went from slaying demons to going to law school and becoming a lawyer. But she didn't think he'd forget the scent of demonic blood so quickly. After all, it played a big part in their lives.

"I know, I know." She began to laugh a little. "Hey, remember when you practiced how you would tell Carmen that you're half demon? You were so nervous for nothing." Noah groaned over the phone line. "How was I supposed to know how she'd react? To this day, I'm still surprised that she stayed with me." His sister could hear a chuckle. "But I guess that's how I knew our love was meant to be." She stopped laughing, a slight frown overcoming her smile.

"Yeah..." She turned the steering wheel, turning on an intersection. "Hey, do you know of any places that have good weaponry for sale? My collection could use some new friends," she lied. The truth was...she was jealous. Her brother had someone who truly loved him, even with his demonic heritage. How she wished to find a man like that.

Yeah, right. A man falling in love with HER? She thought she'd found true love before, plenty of times before. But it turns out they were just playing with her emotions. _Face it_, she told herself. _Who could fall for a half demon like you? Stop dreaming and go back to reality._ She couldn't let any desperation show.

"As a matter of fact," her brother started, interrupting her thoughts, "there's this interesting place you might like. It's called 'Devil May Cry'. They also slay demons for a large price. Exactly what you just got paid for, except they don't have a coverup job." Devil May Cry...where had she heard that name before? Nothing came to mind.

"Thanks. Well, I should get off my phone before I get pulled over. I'm not up to using my sex appeal to get out of a ticket." Her brother laughed at this remark. "Tell everyone I say hi. Love you, bro." Hitting the end button and closed the phone, Azera pressed her boot to the pedal and sped down the highway in her Volvo S80.

* * * * *

Trish and Lady had left a few hours ago, leaving their partner alone for the majority of the day. Probably off at the mall or some spa. He'd been so bored he decided to invite Nero over to his place to watch some movies. At first, the kid had questioned his real intentions. But he decided to ignore it and go along with whatever Dante had planned. At least he'd have Kyrie with him.

The silver haired man suddenly heard the roar of a car in front of his shop. Were they already here? He got up from his desk, taking a steps toward the door, which creaked open. "Can't believe you're already-"

A woman strolled through the front door, her black leather boots clanking against the floor. His icy blue eyes slowly trailed up her legs, which were covered by a tight pair of coal black jeans. A dark plum overskirt draped over her thighs, flowing as she approached him. Her top barely clung to the pair of semi-exposed bulges on her chest, ending just above her stomach. Completely exposed, light skinned shoulders contrasted against the black sleeves. The garment had a split down the middle, held together by several pairs of dark leather straps. An emerald amulet rested on her shirt, its silver chain wrapping around her neck. Jet black hair flipped out to the sides. A familiar pair of shocking green eyes stared back at him, just as surprised as he was.

"Here..." Dante trailed off, Azera stopping in front of him. "I'm surprised to see you here, babe."

"So am I," she added. He noticed that she had a sword resting against her hip. Along the edge of the large blade read an engraved word: 'Affliction'. Their eyes met, bringing them closer to one another. "I'm guessing this is your job. To be honest, I dabble in devil slaying myself." Azera halted next to the half demon, placing a hand on her waist. "I actually had two jobs out of town. Sorry if you were looking for me." So SHE was the one who was hired for Lady and Trish's jobs.

"I understand why you'd lie to your boss. Normal people wouldn't believe us." Dante smirked, his eyes trapped by hers. "So what brings your pretty face here? Miss me too much, or was there a job you couldn't handle?" He got a chill in his arm when her fingers lightly traced along his biceps. "On the contrary, Dante, I've come weapons shopping. My toys need updating." Her voice was driving him mad, the words dancing around in his head. "Is that so?" his voice boomed out. "Well then, you've come to the right place. Here at Devil May Cry, we carry a selection beyond your wildest dreams." Dante motioned his arm for her to follow him and headed to a back room.

The black haired woman was amazed when her eyes caught sight of hundreds of weapons, each making her more excited.

"I've gotta say, you've exceeded way beyond my expectations," the half breed woman admitted. She couldn't keep her eyes on one single piece of weaponry. "This is amazing!"

"What can I say?" he replied. "I aim to please, babe." The blue eyed man watched as Azera freeze near a set of knives. He could see it in her eyes that she wanted them...and badly. "There's a good choice right there. They come in a set of three with this leg strap, and each one can withstand demon skin harder than diamonds." She grabbed the leg strap, feeling the smooth material in her hand. He didn't bother asking if she wanted them. She might change her mind after hearing the cost. "...But they come for a hefty price. $480."

Azera's green orbs immediately flew from the set of knives to Dante. Her eyes widened a little in shock, then went back to having her previous stare. A smirk came across her face. Time to use that sex appeal.

"How about a bargain, then?" she asked in a seductive tone. Her hand crept in between her breasts, pulling out a large money clip. "I'll pay you the 400 up front, and I get the $80 discount if I can pin you down for 5 seconds." Like the first night they met, her shocking green eyes pierced right through him. "I mean, I could just pay the full amount. But really, what's the fun in that?" Dante looked into her eyes, returning the piercing stare, and smirked.

"Okay, babe, you're on. But if I pin you down, you have to pay the full price AND give me something a little extra." Hearing this made her raise an eyebrow. Something extra... They both walked out of the back room and made their way to the basement, which Dante had turned into a training area. "Just don't expect me to hold back." They set their weapons against the wall. "As if I would..." she answered. The two demon hunters began circling one another. All she could focus on now was pinning the sexy man on the floor.

* * * * *

Upstairs on the main level, two people walked into the Devil May Cry office.

"Dante?" a guy's voice called out. "Hey Dante." His brown boots carried him forward, a blue coat following behind.

"Maybe he's not here," a delicate voice replied. She lagged behind her friend. Her short bronze ponytail bounced with every step she took. "Let's just wait for him, Nero."

He turned around, facing his girlfriend. "Kyrie, he's here. I can smell the pizza in his breath."

* * * * * * * *

Azera's a half demon! What other secrets does she have hidden?

Send me a review~!


	7. Introductions

**Note:** I do not own Dante, Nero, Trish, Lady, Kyrie or Devil May Cry. Capcom does. On the other hand, I own Azera, Noah, Calvaro, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

**Re-cap:**

_The previous chapter revealed a crucial fact that will change the rest of the story. Turns out our green eyed beauty is not only an undercover demon slayer, and not only does she have a brother...but she's a HALF DEMON!!!_

_And it seems she's "negotiating" a price with Dante...in a fun, sexy way._

_Oh look, Kyrie and Nero have made their debuts~!_

* * * * * * * * * *

Neither of them had ever been inside Devil May Cry before, let alone Elanay City. It was so different from Fortuna, so...busy. There were a lot of cars and motorcycles around. The two people in the office were hoping Dante could give them a tour of the city, but where was he?

"Hey Dante!" Nero yelled out again. Once more, no reply. The old man was beginning to get on his nerves, and the silver haired teenager wasn't the most tolerant guy around. Finally giving up, he let himself fall backward onto the couch. "Those damn cabs. Their crappy leather upholstery was hard as rock."

Kyrie glanced at Nero, her gentle brown eyes calming him. "Oh, Nero. You're just a little cranky from the long ride here." She rested her head against the soft fabric of his blue coat. He, in turn, wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. As they were about to kiss each other, the two lovebirds were interrupted by a loud noise. It seemed to be coming from under the floor. "What the-" Another loud thud, this time strong enough to shake everything. Nero sighed and shook his head, grabbing his girlfriend's hand and went to look for Dante.

* * * *

Both women were cracking up as their red Ferrari rushed down the empty street. The trunk was filled with shopping bags from several famous designer labels. Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, even one from Victoria's Secret and Chanel. While Lady was off buying ammo for her Kalina Ann, Trish had snuck off to Gamestop. The brunette demon hunter spent over a half hour searching for her friend and finally found her beating a 12 year old at some fighting game, which they ended up buying. This was perfect for Dante; it suited the man's young heart.

"Oh," Lady tried to say through her laughter, "you remember when we were in the food court and that redhead tripped on that ketchup? And then-"

"His face landed in that girl's cleavage!!" Trish finished for her, also hysterical. Their crazed laughter ceased. "Yeah, that was hilarious." Lady reached for a cup filled with soda, her lips gripping the straw and slurping in the refreshing bubbly liquid. "Hey, do you think we should check on Dante? He's probably going insane with Azera still out of town and us not there." The blonde haired woman shook her head, responding, "He's fine. He can stay intact for a few days without a woman's company." Her companion shrugged and continued to race back to Elanay City.

* * * *

So far, the score was in his favor. Just like he intended. But Dante had to admit it, Azera was tougher than he'd anticipated.

"What happened, babe?" he said to her, keeping their eyes connected. "I thought you said you weren't gonna hold back on me. Or is it that you don't wanna injure me?" He knew just the right words to piss off a woman, thanks to Lady.

"Don't get ahead of yourself now," she taunted back with a sly smirk. "I'm just getting warmed up is all."

The black haired woman ran toward her opponent, who jumped out of the way easily. She jumped up after him, starting a chase between the two of them. Every time Dante would land, he'd jump again and Azera would miss him by half a second. She had to catch him off guard if she were to win the bet. But more importantly, she wanted to pin the blue eyed man down and get a good look at him. There was something about him- she didn't know what yet- that made the green eyed half demon want to just stare at him all day, and she wanted to find out what it was. She conjured a plan in her mind, then set it into action. Azera leaped after Dante once more, refueling the chase. She made sure this time to get her timing right to grab his leather pants and throw him down. Of course he landed on his feet, but he was knocked down when she purposely crash landed into him. They wrestled on the floor for a bit, Dante managing to get her down for three seconds. But Azera flipped them over, now on top of him, and pinned him down for the full five seconds. She won.

"Looks like I win." She released the grip on his arms so he could freely move them, but never got up from her position. Being able to finally look down at him gave her a strange, yet satisfying feeling.

"You only won because I ran outta steam, babe." He began to catch his breath, exhausted from playing cat-and-mouse. Dante saw her lower her guard for a split second and used that chance to flip them over again. Now Azera was on the bottom and he was on top. She didn't struggle to get back on top, not even to get out from under him. She just laid there, staring into his eyes. He was doing the same, slowly moving his face closer to hers. Neither of them knew what was going on until his face was barely an inch away from hers. For once, he was leaving her speechless, instead of it being the other way around. Her heart began to pump faster. She was just where he wanted her.

"Do you know how much you tempt me to do things like this?" he whispered to her, sending chills throughout her body. A light pink color took over her cheeks. Usually, it would take a lot more from a man to make Azera blush. So why was she blushing from a guy she'd only recently met? Dante gradually moved his face even closer in. If he moved any more, he'd be...

They heard footsteps approaching. Dante turned his head, giving Azera the opportunity to have the upper hand. She grabbed his arm and pushed herself off the ground. The blue eyed man had no time to react as she motioned both their bodies at once in the air. Nero and Kyrie walked in, only to find Dante lying face down with an arm behind his back and a woman sitting on top of him, keeping a firm grip on him.

"I guess you have visitors, Dante," Azera told her captive. She got up, releasing his arm and helping him to his feet. She saw the look on the young man's face and instantly thought she knew what he was thinking. "Uh..we were...negotiating some prices." Great. Not only was she straddled by an attractive customer of hers, but someone caught HER straddling HIM. How embarrassing.

"I kind of figured you'd have to do something absurd for the old man here." Hearing this, she breathed a sigh of relief. "As a matter of fact, I got involved in some crazy crap thanks to him. Guess that's what brings us all together." He held out his hand for her. "I'm Nero, by the way. And this here is Kyrie."

"I'm Azera," she replied, shaking his hand. Her light green orbs traveled down until they caught sight of his right arm. It was wrapped in a sling, but didn't appear to be broken. And the really weird thing about his arm was the skin. Each of his fingers were a dark navy hue, and the rest was red. If she didn't know any better, she would've mistaken it for a glove. "Excuse me for asking, but how long have you had a demonic arm?" Everyone's eyes widened. She was able to tell just by looking at it? This girl was truly something else. Nero opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by another woman's voice.

"Hey Dante, we saw the car outside and thought we'd have a..." Trish's words trailed off when she saw the black haired woman standing next to Dante. Azera saw the blue eyed woman and returned the curious stare. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the Azera that Dante's been talking about." Lady joined Trish in observing their partner's new friend. "Dante, you never mentioned how beautiful she was." Azera blushed once again, then changed her expression when she saw the time on her phone.

"Crap! I'm gotta get ready for work!" She ran to the corner, grabbing her sword and darted up the stairs. Dante followed behind her, quickening his pace. "Hey, wait up! You're forgetting something!" He grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving. "You may have won your part, but I also won mine. That means I get a little gift."

A smirk formed on his face. He let go of her arm, laying his hand against the wall. "And what would that be, exactly?" Azera questioned him. "A free drink?" She stared into his eyes, as if trying to bore a hole right through him. Like before, it didn't seem to phase the silver haired man. He lifted his free hand, placing it on her neck. "How about dinner instead?" he whispered.

* * * * * * * * *

Wait a second...did Dante just ask her out? And the chapter ended without an answer?


	8. Dates and Fights

**Note:** I do not own Devil May Cry or the DMC cast. Nor do I own any designer labels mentioned in the previous chapter. They belong to their creators. But I do own Azera, Calvaro, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

**Re-cap:**

_Looks like everyone's officially met Azera, and they seem to like her. Plus, she's won the bet between her and Dante. Too bad they never clarified that only one of them could win...because he also won his half and wants his prize to be a date with the green eyed beauty. _

_Wait a sec...is he SERIOUS? Guess we'll just have to read on and find out for ourselves._

* * * * * * * * * *

Azera's heart started pounding again. She didn't know which time was worse- when he was on top of her or now. His actions were making her feel very strange...and she liked it. A lot.

"So you're saying that for winning your end of our wager," she stated, "you want to go out for dinner...with me." Her mind was still trying to process this. "...And you're serious about this offer?"

"Do I have to show youhow serious I am?" Dante asked her, leaning near her face. "I could if you really didn't believe me-" A light skinned finger was set on his lips, surprising the blue eyed man. Her other hand slowly crept up his cheek and moved into his silvery white locks. "I suppose I can take you up on that offer, but only if you're paying." His lips curved into a smile. "I get off of work early tomorrow. You can pick me up from there." She removed her hands from him and walked out of the demon slayer's lair.

Dante was still staring at the door when it closed. _Hold on a second,_ he thought. _...Did Azera just say YES??? And she wasn't lying? _The devil hunter was lost in his thoughts, playing the moment over and over in his mind until he felt a scaly skinned fist whack the side of his head. "Are you alive?" he heard Nero tell him. His trance was broken, returning him to the real world. "Sorry, I was just...surprised." The blue eyed teenager cocked an eyebrow. "By what?"

"Well, you may not believe this, but I just scored a date." Nero crossed his arms, skeptical. "Mhm, and I guess you're gonna tell me next that it's with Azera." He saw the look on Dante's face. He wasn't lying. "So the old man is FINALLY serious about a woman... Do you even know WHAT to do on a date?" The elder half demon rolled his eyes. "I probably know more about women than you, kid."

"Sure you do," Lady interrupted, coming out from the stairway. "But I have a feeling there are things about Azera that not even you know."

* * * *

Nightfall soon overtook the once bright sky. Dante had gone home after reluctantly agreeing to give Kyrie and Nero a tour of the city, which he thought would last forever. Luckily for him, they found a hotel to stay in. Good, he wouldn't have to hear the kids complain about how his place looked to have been hit by a tornado from hell. Now the demon slayer could just fall onto his bed and snore the night away.

He was only asleep for a few hours when a low hissing noise woke him. His tired eyes slowly opened to darkness. The hissing noise grew louder, and it was beginning to piss him off. "...Better be fucking important to be waking me up in the middle of the night," Dante groaned. He rolled off the mattress and grabbed his guns and Rebellion, jumping out the window. Standing in front of him was the source of the hissing noise. It was the same demon from a few nights ago, the one he just couldn't land a hit on.

"You come back to see me?" he asked in half cocky, half cranky tone. "Sorry, but I'm taken now. I'm afraid you're a little too late." He rested the sword's blade atop his bare shoulder, Ebony and Ivory hanging through his belt loops. Dante needed to land an attack on this succubus before she hit him. Her tongue ran across her blood red lips, then she suddenly disappeared. The silver haired man's eyes frantically darted around, searching for her. Just as suddenly as she vanished, the gray skinned demon slashed his exposed chest with her gauntlet like hand. Dante flew backwards, hitting the brick wall of his apartment building. The stone cracked a little, small pieces of concrete falling from his hair. He stood back up, cracking his neck, and lunged at his opponent. His icy blue orbs stayed magnetized on her, hoping to find a loophole. By the time he discovered her weakness, she'd already gone off.

* * * *

The date didn't go as he'd originally planned.

Dante and Azera were sitting together on a park bench, looking up at the darkening sky. The stars were just beginning to come out of hiding as the sun met the horizon. Fireflies floated around them, dancing in the air. The silver haired man had his arm around her shoulder, which she seemed to like a lot. In his mind, he relived every moment from their night out. Each thought made him feel more and more like an ass.

First, picking her up. Dante arrived at the Crimson Flame almost a half hour late. Their first date, and he wasn't on time. _Smooth, Dante. Real smooth. _When he got there, his jaw dropped once he caught sight of Azera. She wore black strapped sandals, displaying her glossy new pedicure. A pair of dark denim capris covered her legs, leading up to a red spaghetti strap shirt. Her hair, as always, hung down and flipped out, her left eye draped by the jet black bangs. She had to gently pat his cheek a few times to free him from his trance.

Next, the restaurant. The demon slayer had insisted on taking his date to the most expensive place in town. She tried to change his mind, but eventually gave in and let him lead the way. They were seated and ordering their food when Azera caught Dante enjoying a glimpse of their waitress' giant sweater cows. It took him a few seconds to realize what he was doing and turned back to the green eyed woman, who was holding back from giggling. _Great job. Eyeing your waitress' breasts._

And if that wasn't enough, the third flaw was sure to make him feel bad. In the beginning, it was agreed that he would pay for dinner. But fate seemed to hate his guts tonight. When they went up to the register to pay, Dante realized he forgot his wallet. He made sure, checking every pocket. Yup, it was back at Devil May Cry on his desk. Azera caught on and dug between her cleavage, pulling out her money clip. _Breaking promises already. Nice going, Dante._

"Hey..." he started, "I'm sorry about tonight." Her eyes glanced at him, confused. "I know the date didn't really go as you hoped it would. First I picked you up late. Then I was caught drooling over some other woman's boobs. And to make it three strikes, I didn't pay for dinner like I promised." The half devil sighed, pulling her closer to him. He suddenly heard her giggling. "What's so funny?"

Azera laid her head against his chest. "You are, silly. Just because you messed up on a few things doesn't mean I didn't have fun tonight. You gotta lighten up, Dante." She closed her eyes, nuzzling her face into his black shirt. "Tonight was the most fun I've had in a while, and I have you to thank for that."

Hearing this made him blush ever so slightly. His hand reached behind the bench and into a rose bush. He pulled off a single bloom and placed it in her hair. "Thanks..." she heard his voice whisper. "I should probably get you home now, Azera." The two of them got up and strolled down the cobblestone path out of the park. When he saw his chance, Dante slowly interlocked his fingers with hers. She noticed and tightened her grip on him.

They'd walked the entire way to her apartment hand in hand. Azera and Dante stood underneath the dim outdoor light, their eyes interlocked. Neither of them wanted this night to end.

"Goodnight," she said softly to him. Her free hand crept up his chest, hooking behind his neck. She leaned up, closing her eyes, and kissed Dante on the cheek. Before he could react, Azera slipped out of his grasp and walked through the door to her building. The silver haired man suddenly shouted out, a smile on his face, and ran back home.

* * * *

Thunder rumbled in the now blackened skies. Azera woke up in a flash, looking a bit disoriented. The streaks of lightning followed, making her fully alert. She took in a deep breath. Why was there a demon outside her apartment at this hour? Oh well. It's not like they were polite and waited until daytime. With a groan, she forced herself out of bed and threw on a pair of loose fabric pants. Her hands grabbed one of the knives from the set Dante sold her. She'd engraved a word along the blade's edge to match her sword- 'Shredder'. The other two also had engraved words- 'Slicer' and 'Slasher'. She pushed open the door to her balcony and leaped to the street below. The scent was getting stronger, and she could feel the humidity rising drastically.

Raindrops almost immediately began to fall from the sky. _Shit,_ she thought. _How the fuck am I supposed to find a demon in the_- Suddenly, a pale, muscular hand tightly grabbed her throat and lifted her entire body from the ground. Azera began to kick frantically as she was carried to a nearby alleyway and slammed against the brick wall. The knife fell to the ground, clanking as it hit the tar pavement. Her green orbs were now slits, trying to pull the man's hand off her neck. A bolt of lightning surged through the sky, giving light to her attacker's face.

"S...cott..." she coughed out. There was something off about him. His skin was changing, going from pale to a rich golden tone. His hair was a mess, turning a fiery red at the ends. He was, for some reason, a hundred times stronger than when she last fought him. And his irises...they were orange instead of their normal chocolate brown. "No...you're not..." Scott tightened his hand around his victim's neck, causing her to cry out in agony. He opened his mouth, words pouring out in a voice that wasn't his. A voice she recognized from her past.

"How have you been, my dear? Did you miss not having me around?" Azera's eyes widened. Nyorexs. It was really him. He was back, he was after her once again. And as usual, he was out to either kidnap her or kill her. The vicious cycle that started when she was 10 years old...it was continuing again. "Don't worry. Soon, this will be all over." He bit into the skin near her shoulder, his teeth digging in deep. Azera screamed out and tried fighting back, only to have her limbs be pressed harder into the concrete behind her. The rain poured harder onto them, not providing any assistance in her escaping. Small pools of water began to well up in the corners of her eyes. For once, being a half demon meant nothing. She was as helpless as any human girl. And being helpless was the one thing Azera hated more than anything.

All of a sudden, he was gone. She lay on the ground, coughing and gasping for air. The tears that had formed now rolled down her cheeks. Her normally full-of-life hair now stuck to her face. She slowly pulled herself up and began to run. The rain pelted her with every step she took. Her clothes were completely soaked. She finally reached to where she'd been running to- Devil May Cry. Her fists began pounding on the doors, hoping he'd answer. They opened, revealing her to her silver haired friend. Seeing the state she arrived in put a worried look on his face.

"Azera, what happened? Are you okay?" She could barely talk through her crying and shivering.

"He...choking me...had his whole body against me..." Her words trailed off as she dropped to her knees. He kneeled down next to her, laying his hand on her shoulder.

"Ssh...it's alright. You're safe now." She threw herself into Dante's arms, letting him hug away the pain.


	9. Seducing a Cold Heart

**Note:** I do not own Devil May Cry or the cast of DMC. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera, Calvaro, Noah, Scott, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

~Also, this chapter is steering away from the main characters to reveal a very important event that will effect the rest of this story. They'll be mentioned, but only for a brief part of the chapter.

**Re-cap:**

_Previously, Azera and Dante went on their first date, which didn't play out like our silver haired half demon hoped. But to his surprise, she enjoyed it a lot. He even got a kiss. Not on the lips, but just as satisfying on the cheek. All the way back to his place, he thought of nothing except for the smile on her face._

_Unfortunately, her smile faded when Nyorexs almost snapped her neck. Dante comforted her after she arrived at his place, drenched and sobbing._

_And it seems Calvaro may have a weakness..._

* * * * * * *

Hundreds of fiends were under his command. A powerful demon was giving him whatever he desired. And a drop dead gorgeous succubus was by his side, following his every order without question. Everything seemed to be perfect.

He sat alone in an empty room which only had a single door. The wall farthest away had one hole carved out for a window, no glass covering it. Moonlight shone into the room, illuminating whatever came into its path. His brown booted foot tapped impatiently on the stone floor. She was supposed to have been back by now. How long did it take to round up a few minor demons? She was a thousand times stronger than those lesser monsters.

The metal door creaked open, interrupting the light skinned man's thoughts. Light, nimble footsteps entered the room. The sound of scales tearing followed close behind. Something, or s_omeone_, was being dragged. Black boots stopped in front of the man. Blood red irises met his icy blue ones. A pair of lips matching the eyes curved into a seductive, yet sadistic smile.

"Sorry for the late return, Master," Calvaro said to him. "Turns out the babies had a mother with a temper. But I took care of them." She lifted her right arm, showing him a few captured demons. They were alive, but barely. Her black gauntlet hand tossed the limp beings across the room, letting their heads ram into the wall. "Where's the old man?"

"He didn't say. He departed about an hour ago and took a few Scarecrows along with him." His eyes watched as the succubus shrugged and strutted over to the makeshift window. She moved as if she were on a cat walk, purposely showing off her body. "Would you care to tell me more precise details about his little plot? For some reason, Nyorexs loves to leave me in dark when it comes to important stuff. Thinks I'm only good for luring in horny little saps and not for devising plans." She sat on the stone ledge and stared at the night sky, letting her leg hang in the humid air.

Her master stood up from his chair and walked up to the gray skinned demon, halting his movements once next to her. "You shouldn't blame him," his velvety voice commented. He reached up a hand and ran his fingers through her wavy hair. She turned to face him, feeling his smooth leather glove against her cheek. "After all, you ARE a succubus, and a beautiful one at that. You're a deadly weapon, and he thinks any information that reaches you could lead to his own demise." A sly smile formed on her face once more.

"Which part should I take as the compliment?" she asked in her seductive tone, moving her entire body back inside the room. Her left hand reached up and cupped the blue eyed man's cheek. Her blood toned irises shot right through him, adding to her enticement. Calvaro knew all too well what she was capable of pulling off with the position she had her master in. If she wanted, the demon could kill him on the spot. But instead, she leaned closer to him and planted her red lips just below his jaw. She could have sunk her teeth into his neck and shoot burning poison into his veins. However, the succubus only dragged her tongue up to his lips. The light skinned man was caught by surprise as he felt her hand slide around his neck. "Mmmm..." she purred, "my master tastes sweet. Just how I like it..." He figured out where she was going with this.

Next thing she knew, Calvaro's back was against the stone wall, her wrists held securely above her head. Her master pressed his body against hers so she couldn't move. His icy blue eyes bore into her returning glance, his lips forming into a smirk. "Don't assume you can take control that easily," he stated icily. "I keep you close to me for only one reason, Calvaro. And that is so you assist me in reaching my goal." He continued to stare at her, but she didn't show any sign of fear. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying every second of this. "Oh really?" her voice purred again. "But you seem to be liking this...maybe more than I am." As much as he hated to admit it, he did enjoy her seduction. It was the first time that any woman, demon or human, caused him to feel a type of satisfaction he thought never existed. Had this woman awakened those dormant emotions? Instead of letting the answer come to him, the man decided it was best to keep his composure, so as not to show any signs of weakness. He released her and went back to his lone chair, a bead of sweat dripping down his neck.

"Guess I was right..." Calvaro slowly walked up to one of the demons she'd captured and knelt down next to it. "By the way, master, I have a gift for you." Her blood red lips curved into a bigger smirk. "I think you'll find this object a bit...intriguing..." The words rolled off of her tongue as she lifted the nearly dead demon from the floor with her left hand.

* * * *

_Previously that night..._

"Kyrie...you can come out now. It's safe," Nero told her in a calm tone. He stabbed Red Queen into the tar street, leaning against her hilt and regaining his breath. A faint sound was soon followed by a pair of light skinned arms thrown around his neck. "They didn't see you, did they?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so." Kyrie reached her hand up and gently brushed a strand of his silvery white hair from his face. "Looks like they couldn't manage to put a scratch on you." She smiled softly, planting a light kiss on his lips. "I'm guessing that's my award for pulverizing demons in the middle of the night." Hearing this made them both laugh. "Hey, stand back for a sec. I have to make sure it didn't get damaged."

The young half demon's girlfriend nodded and gave him some space. Her brown eyes watched as Nero's Devil Bringer emitted a blinding glow. She shielded her eyes from the bright light. Once the glow faded, Kyrie moved her arm from her face and noticed something odd. The look on the icy blue eyed teenager's face showed confusion.

"Nero," she whispered, "...is everything alright?" His muscles tensed. His hand tightened into a fist, raising Red Queen out of the ground and putting her back in the holster on his back. His blue irises stared down at his Devil Bringer; it was the kind of stare that immediately signaled bad news. Nero grabbed the light brown haired girl's hand and began to run. He needed to get to Devil May Cry, and fast.

"Dante!" Nero yelled outside of the elder demon slayer's lair. "Open the door, dammit! This is serious!" The large doors creaked open, revealing a groggy looking Dante. He rubbed his partially closed eyes and yawned.

"What the hell's your problem, kid? You have ANY idea what time it-"

"Forget about that!" the younger devil interrupted. "We have a huge problem. Yamato's gone!"

* * * *

"Yes..." he said in a satisfied tone, "Now I feel complete." His eyes seemed to glow a little as he placed the weapon where he always kept it. Two yellow ribbons hung from the end of its handle.

"I see I was right again," she replied, seeing the grin across his face. "You're welcome, master." The light skinned man turned to face her, feeling the demonic power within him beginning to drastically rise. "Call me by my true name," he demanded. Her blood red lips curved upward.

"Whatever you say, Vergil."

* * * * * * * *

O...M...G!!!!!

Vergil's ALIVE!!!!!!!

Review please~!


	10. Yamato's Search Party

**Note:** I do not own Devil May Cry or the DMC cast. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera, Calvaro, Noah, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

**Re-cap:**

_Oh no! Yamato's been stolen! And even more shocking, Vergil's ALIVE!!!! How can it be???_

_Poor Azera had a rough night. But...where was she when Nero delivered the bad news?_

* * * * * * * *

"Are you fucking serious?" A light skinned hand bashed into the wooden desk. Dante's breathing began to speed up, showing his rage. His icy blue eyes became lighter than usual, making him look scarier. It was the first time anyone had seen the silver haired half demon like this. Usually, he kept his cool and acted a bit too cocky. But right now, Dante was REALLY pissed.

"Do you think I'd lie about something as serious as Yamato being STOLEN?" Nero yelled back to him, also infuriated. "Dammit!" He punched the wall with his Devil Bringer, leaving a small dent. Kyrie put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. "How could this happen?" The silver haired teenager removed his fist from the damaged wall, walking to the couch and sitting down. He rested his head in his hands.

The doors to Devil May Cry swung open with great force. Two pairs of boots stormed in, immediately heading for the wooden desk. A set of light hands laid on the desk's surface. "Is it true?" Trish asked, concern lingering in her light blue eyes. Lady stood behind her, shifting her weight to one leg.

"Yeah," he answered in a stern tone, "it's true. Somehow, Yamato was stolen." The women's eyes widened in shock. Not only because the sword used to open the Hellgate was stolen, but also by the look on Dante's face. Just like Nero, they'd ever seen the icy blue eyed man act like this. Not even Lady, who'd known him for longer than everyone else. Her dual colored orbs moved to the younger demon hunter, who was sulking on the couch. "Okay. So how exactly did this happen?" she asked.

He looked up at her, then back at his demonic hand. "There were a bunch of demons running wild in the middle of the night. I went out to get rid of them, but the more I slaughtered, the more that came back. I killed them all...except for one-" His eyes shot open, remembering something strange that had occurred the previous night. "Wait a second. The one I wasn't able to kill bit my Devil Bringer. It was able to sink its teeth all the way through. And then I got a weird sensation where it bit me, as if something was being sucked out of me..." Nero stood up from his seat. "That's when Yamato must've been stolen! That damned demon sucked it out of my arm!"

The two women stared at Nero, then at his Devil Bringer. There were two puncture wounds along the top of it, and they looked pretty deep. Deep enough to even do what the teenager said. "Shit, he's not making it up," Lady said under her breath. Trish now looked to the elder hunter, who was still in his fit of fury. She took a step toward him and heard the door suddenly swing open. Heeled boots clanked against the wooden floor boards, heading in Dante's direction.

"Hey, how is everyone?" Azera asked, her dark plum overskirt following behind her. Her light green irises saw the look on his face, she instantly knew something was wrong. "Dante, what's wrong?" He glanced at the black haired woman then turned away from her glance. "Nothing. I'm fine." She reached her hand up and turned his head so he'd face her. "There's no use trying to avoid or hide it. Something's wrong, and it's written all over your face." His brow furrowed. She was too good. "Azera, I said I'm fine." He pulled her hand off his cheek.

Giving up on Mr. Pouty, Azera left him alone and went up to Nero. "What's with Dante? I've never seen him like this." Before the young demon slayer could answer, she felt a muscular hand grip her shoulder. She turned around, seeing Dante's icy blue eyes piercing right through her. "Fine, I'll tell you. A sword called Yamato..." he began to explain. "It's something I entrusted Nero to take care of for me." He pointed to the kid's right arm. "But last night, a demon stole it from him. Sucked the blade right our of his Devil Bringer. And now, we don't have any clue where it could be."

So that's what he was upset about? A sword? It must've been very special to him if he'd get THAT angry. "Let me help you find it." Everyone turned to look at her. "If a low ranking demon stole it, then it couldn't have gotten far." Lady nodded in agreement. "She's right. We should split up in that case." Dante grabbed Ebony & Ivory, which were hanging up on the wall, and slid them into their holsters on his waist. He placed Rebellion on his back. "Trish, you and Lady search uptown. Nero, you'll be coming with Azera and I downtown. Kyrie should probably stay here."

Azera walked up to Kyrie, putting out a pen from her pocket, and started writing on her hand. "This is my phone number. If anything happens, call me," she told the light brown haired girl. "Also, if some demons pop up out of nowhere and we're not back in time to get them, use this to defend yourself." The black haired woman reached near her thigh, pulling out one of her three knives she'd bought from Dante. The edge of the blade read 'Slicer'. Kyrie nodded, carefully grabbing the knife's handle. Nero gave her a long kiss goodbye, then followed the others through the door.

Dante spotted his two female partners standing in front of a silver Volvo S80. They were joined by the rest of the search party. "Azera, is this your car?" Lady asked the light green eyed woman. She nodded in response. "Mhm. He's my baby. Had him for three years now." Her hand moved along the hood as she walked around the car to the driver's seat. "Maybe after we're done searching I'll give you the grand tour." Nero opened the rear car door and went inside. Dante took the passenger seat next to Azera.

Trish and Lady got on their motorcycles, waving goodbye and speeding off. The silver Volvo roared to life and drove away, heading downtown.

* * * *

They'd searched all around downtown Elanay City...twice, just to be sure they didn't miss it. But Yamato was still nowhere to be found. And to add to their disappointment, it was beginning to get dark out. They were about to call it a day when the Volvo drove up to a forest. Azera hit the brakes and the car slowed to a halt.

"What is it?" Nero asked, resting his arm against the back seat. He watched as the black haired woman silently unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. The blue eyed teenager exchanged a glance with Dante and they both got out of the silver vehicle. "Azera..." Dante looked at the woman, who was pulling her sword from the trunk. She slid Affliction into its sheath and also took out the leg strap, which had her other two knives in the attached pouch, and strapped it around her left thigh. She closed the lid of the trunk and began walking toward the forest. The two men started after her, each landing a hand on a shoulder. She was acting weird, starting right when the forest was in sight.

"Let go of me," she ordered. "And stay here until I come back." Now it was Dante's turn to get worried about Azera. Her voice was always so warm, aside from that night at the bar where she pulverized her ex boyfriend. But now, her tone was so...so cold. Nero removed his hand, but Dante stood where he was. "Look, you didn't give up on finding out about the Yamato situation when I was pissed. Now I'm doing the same with you. So come on, tell me what the problem is." He felt her shoulder tense up beneath his hand. She slowly turned around to face him. When their eyes met, a chill swam down Dante's back. This chill, however, was nothing close to the usual ones he gave her. It actually scared him. Azera's eyes were such a light shade of green that it seemed almost like she had no irises. He immediately released his grip on her. "Stay put," she ordered him again, and strode into the woods before he could stop her.

A half hour passed and she still hadn't returned from the trees. The two men were sitting on the hood of her car, as they had been for the entire time. Dante, finally having enough of the silence, slid off the car and headed into the forest. "Screw what she said; I'm going in. You coming, kid?" Nero shrugged his shoulders and followed the elder demon slayer, reaching for his double barrel revolver 'Blue Rose'.

The two half demons had walked somewhat deep into the forest. The deeper they went through the forest, the more they began to smell the aroma of demons. When the men saw moonlight emit a glow into a clearing, they stopped dead in their tracks. Both pairs of icy blue eyes widened. Dozens of massacred demons lay on the ground. Blood was splattered all around. And right in the center of it all, Azera stood in a battle stance, her blade impaled through one of the fiends. "W-what the...?" Dante couldn't finish his question. He was shocked beyond words.

Azera turned around, hearing his voice. The chilled look in her eyes was long gone, replaced by the one he knew well. She panted through the smile that formed on her face. "Hey guys. I was just about to come back to you." Her voice was back to normal as well. The man in red looked around the clearing. Fifty seven. She'd slaughtered fifty seven demons. No wonder she'd been gone for so long. "Sorry if I worried you," she apologized. "I just don't like anyone to see me when I'm killing demons. I tend to get a little crazy. Anyway, none of them had Yamato." She relaxed herself, pulling Affliction out of the deceased monster, and began walking toward the two men. "Shall we head back?" Turning to follow her, Nero noticed something odd. There was a rather large split right in the middle of her shirt. The edges of the opening also had a bit of dried blood around it, as if her sword had been stabbed into her back.

"Hey Dante," he whispered, pointing to Azera's back, "Is it me, or does it look like she was stabbed?" The elder silver haired man saw what he was referring to, and a curious look came across his face. He was right. It did seem like something sharp went right through her and ripped a hole into her shirt. As the men followed her back to the car, more questions began to form in Dante's mind.

Who was Azera, really? In all honesty, did she like him the way he liked her? What secrets was she hiding? And why did she hide them?


	11. Dance With A Passion

**Note:** I do not own the DMC cast or Devil May Cry. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera, Calvaro, Noah, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

*And someone sent me a review, saying I don't like Dante because of how I made Scott choke him to the point where the sexy half demon was rendered helpless in chapter 3. xD I LOVE Dante, and I only did that because of the events of that chapter. I wanted to focus more on Azera's skills, so I turned Scott into one of those guys that not even Dante could take on, but his ex girlfriend could xDD*

**Re-cap:**

_Nero explained how Yamato was stolen from him, and Azera offered to help search for it. The search turned up empty. Then, while they were driving back to Devil May Cry, she suddenly stopped the car near a forest and fought some demons. Dante and Nero noticed that a tear was made in the middle of her shirt with blood surrounding it._

_Who IS Azera?_

* * * * * * * * * *

Azera drove the two men back to Devil May Cry. She could feel Nero's icy blue eyes staring at her, but she ignored them. She knew what he was thinking: What had gone down while she was alone? And if she was just fighting demons, why didn't she allow them to fight alongside her? _I kept you guys away for a reason,_ she thought to herself. _One of those damned Marionettes caught me off guard and stabbed right through me with its scimitar. I didn't want you guys to watch while I pulled it out of me like nothing. You'd know I'm a half demon then kill me._ She took a quick glimpse at the front of her shirt. Yup, the blade had cut all the way through. And it was her favorite shirt, too.

Everyone was silent the whole ride back to Devil May Cry. The air in the car was tense, like the calm before a storm. Nero never let the black haired woman out of his sight. He knew she was hiding something; what it was, he had no clue. But he knew that she wasn't just an ordinary human like Kyrie. Hell, she was even out of Lady's league. At least she let her partners fight alongside her. At least when there was a tear in her clothes, there'd be a cut to go along with it. Azera, on the other hand...he couldn't put his finger on it. What was she so desperately trying to hide?

"We're here," she called out, interrupting the teenager's thoughts. They got out of the car and headed into Devil May Cry. Trish and Lady had already returned from their search and were talking to Kyrie. "Any luck?" Nero asked them. Lady shook her head. "We looked all over uptown and killed any demons we saw. I don't get it." She began pacing the floor. "How could such a low level demon be THIS good at hiding?" The dual eye colored woman sat on Dante's desk, her arms crossed. She looked up at Azera and noticed the tear in her black top. "What happened to you?" The green eyed woman looked down and her shirt and acted all surprised. "Ah, one of the demons I was fighting must've ripped it. Crap, the damned thing got blood all over it." She made a face to look a bit upset, then shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well. It was worth it to try and find Yamato."

"Speaking of which," Trish said to her, "You don't have to help us if you don't want to. There are probably tons of other things you'd rather be doing." She saw Azera blush at her words and smirked. "Ohh, I get it now. You just want to be around Dante, right?" The black haired woman turned a brighter shade of red and stared at the floor, a nervous look on her face. "Hey Lady, why don't we take over the search tomorrow and let the two lovebirds have a little fun?" The brunette also smirked, seeing their silver haired partner blushing a little. "You're right. You guys enjoy yourselves tomorrow. We'll handle the Yamato case. Before either of them could argue, she got off the desk and grabbed Kalina Ann, walking out the door. Trish waved and followed after her. Nero and Kyrie also said goodbye and left, leaving the two of them alone.

"Well," Dante finally said, breaking the awkward silence, "I guess we have a date tomorrow. Where do you want to go?" The color on her cheeks returned to normal. She stood silent for a moment, thinking of a place they could go. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up. "I know a good place to go. But before we do, there are a few things you and I need to do." The silver haired man gave her a curious stare. He opened his mouth to say something, but Azera interrupted him. "And no asking about it. You have to be patient."

"Aww, why?" She gave him a soft smile and placed her hand in his, interlocking their fingers. "Come on, babe," he started begging her, lifting her hand and kissing it lightly. "Can't you give me just a little hint? Please?" His lips trailed their way up her arm, until she pulled out of his grasp and wrapped it around his neck. She pulled the icy blue eyed man closer and her lips met his cheek. "Like I said, you have to be patient. No hints." The green eyed woman headed for the door. "I'll come to pick you you up tomorrow."

* * * *

He looked in the mirror. Not bad. It wasn't his usual full-on leather outfit, but it looked good on him. Man, could Azera work wonders on putting together an outfit.

Dante was wearing his usual boots, topped with a pair of coal black jeans. The sleeves of his red cotton button down shirt were rolled up. He didn't have on his gloves; Azera insisted that they stay off for tonight, that they weren't necessary. Having his hands bare during the day felt weird. The pair of leather gloves never left his hands unless he was in the shower or asleep. Oh well, he could do without them.

"Hey, Azera, are you done yet?" the half demon yelled out, adjusting his shirt collar. She'd been in the bathroom for a while now, doing whatever it WAS that she was doing. He heard a clicking noise. The door unlocked and opened, followed by the sound of footsteps. "Well, it's about time you got-" His eyes widened when he caught sight of her and had his breath taken away.

She wore a pair of black heeled sandals. An eye catching dress clung to her curves and draped over her thighs. The top of it was bright red, turning orange and yellow as the color traveled down. The bottom of the dress had a tattered look to it and was a blinding yellow, like the tongues of flames. Two thin red straps held up the dress. Her emerald amulet rested on top of her dress. As always, her jet black hair flipped outward, covering her left eye.

Azera gave a little giggle when she saw Dante's reaction. "I guess that means it looks nice." The silver haired man began to circle her, his eyes slowly moving up and down her body.

"Nice? You look amazing!" She giggled again. "So now can you tell me where we're going?" The green eyed woman shook her head and grabbed is hand, leading him downstairs and to her car.

The whole drive there, Azera wouldn't answer a single question. No matter what he asked, or how many times he asked, she would just shake her head and giggle. He even made a puppy face, but it backfired and made her laugh hard. If it weren't for that fact that she was driving, Dante would've wrestled her to the ground until she confessed. Lucky her.

"We're here," she said to her passenger, "so you can stop asking questions now." The silver Volvo slowed to a halt next to the sidewalk, eventually turning off. Dante got out of the car and observed the building that stood before him. It was a club, 'Suave'. Latin music could be heard through the door. People were lined up outside, waiting to get in. He sighed.

"Don't tell me we'll have to get on that line." He saw her roll her eyes and grab his hand again, walking right up the club's security guard. She said something to him and he nodded, letting the two of them go right in. Dante let out a low whistle as he saw the faces on the people in the front of the line. Too bad they didn't make reservations.

The interior of the club was outstanding. On the walls were hundreds of framed pictures, some with signatures on them. A few guitars and trumpets were also mounted on the burgundy walls, booths filled with people on the gray tile floor below. The center of the club had polished hardwood instead of the tile, and more people were dancing. On the farthest wall, a DJ stood behind his equipment and dimmed the lights above.

The two sat across from each other in a booth near the dance floor. A man came up to them and took their orders and brought them out a few minutes later. During their meal, Dante noticed that every 5 minutes or so, Azera would glance toward the people dancing. Her plate had only a few crumbs laying on it when she finally decided that she didn't want to just sit there. The black haired woman stood up and held her hand out for Dante. His blue orbs went from her hand to her eyes, then back to her hand.

"No way," he told her over the music. "There's no way I'm dancing." She made a pouty face at him, pushing out her lower lip. He saw this and immediately looked away. "Azera, I can't dance, especially not to this type of music." She rolled her eyes at him again.

"Then I'll teach you. Come on." Before he could argue, she dragged him out of the booth and onto the hardwood floor. She pulled him into the crowd of people until they were in the middle of the dance floor. Dante stood there, confused, and felt Azera place his hands on her hips. "Watch closely," she ordered him. He did as he was told, watching her hips move gracefully left and right. He could feel the movements in his hands. She put her hands on both sides of his waist and began to move them. She lifted her hand off after a moment and he moved his hips on his own. "There you go. You've got it!" she complimented. Azera started to move her feet, and Dante mimicked her movements. She lifted his right hand and held it in her left hand, lifting their intertwined hands above her shoulder. "Just put them all together..." She moved their hands higher, creating an arc, and twirled under it. "...And add a little turn." The song ended and a new, faster one started. "Now it's time to get serious. Come on and show me what you've got."

Dante smirked at her. "Alright, babe, you asked for it." He pulled her closer with one quick movement of his hand, surprising her. Their eyes stayed locked on each other as their hips started twisting together. Both of the half breeds moved simultaneously, not missing a single beat. They didn't notice, but everyone was stopping to watch the couple dance. As the song came to an end, the man in red decided to surprise Azera again and dipped her. Sweat dripped down both their foreheads. The people surrounding them started cheering. The heat between them was intense as he slowly rose her up, their breath heavy.

The night had drawn to a close. Azera drove Dante back to Devil May Cry, talking about their fun time the whole ride there. They both got out of the car and stood near the building's entrance. The black haired woman looked into his icy blue eyes and smiled.

"I had fun tonight," she said to him softly. "And you're a great dancer." He smirked and laid a hand on her flushed cheek.

"Yeah, you too." He leaned in toward her and gently pressed his lips against her other cheek. As much as he wanted to kiss her on the lips, he wanted her to make the first move. For once, Dante wanted to take this slow. He really liked her, and the demon slayer didn't want her to feel pressured. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?" She nodded.

"Of course, silly." She brushed some of the black locks from her face and returned the kiss on his cheek."Goodnight." Azera gave him one last hug, then went back into her car and drove home.

Up in her apartment, the green eyed woman was just coming out of her bathroom when a strange feeling came over her. "Ughh..." she muttered in a low tone. She squinted her eyes, her breathing starting to speed up. Suddenly, an extreme pain hit her in the chest, like a wrecking ball rammed right into her. "Agghhh!" Azera clutched her chest and fell to her knees, the world around her slowly becoming engulfed in shadows.

* * * *

The scent of demons lingered in his bedroom. It was strong, strong enough to wake the half devil from his slumber. "Oh great... Just what I need." Dante had begun to get used to this- demons appearing outside his window in the middle of the night, him being woken up by their stench, him having to destroy them. But THIS demonic scent... He knew this scent all too well. He grabbed Rebellion, which was leaning against the wall. His other hand reached for another weapon- Force Edge. Maybe his father's sword could give him some aid in bringing down this demon, once and for all. The silver haired man opened the window and jumped to the street below and saw his opponent waiting for him.

"How'd I know it was YOU?" he spoke out, glaring at the gray skinned demon in front of him. Her blood red irises stayed fixed on him as he began to circle her. "Look, lady. I'll tell you again since you seem set on stalking me. I'm taken." He rested Rebellion on his shoulder and tightened his grip on Force Edge. Dante rushed in to attack the demon, who didn't seem to move an inch. He swung Rebellion onto her, expecting to cut her arm off. But he got a surprise. The demon's gauntlet hand caught the blade like nothing. A smirk came across her face. Dark red electricity flowed though the sword and into Dante, throwing him into the brick wall. The succubus began to laugh maniacally.

"You really are pathetic," Calvaro told him in her double voice, tossing Rebellion aside like a piece of trash. "No wonder you weren't able to stop your brother from going into the demon realm." His eyes widened. How did this woman know about Vergil? "And now, you can't even stop little me! How truly pathetic!!" This made him snap. Dante stood up and rushed in again, this time going to stab her gauntlet with Force Edge. To his surprise, the blade went right through her hand. The dark red electricity immediately stopped flowing. Calvaro screamed in agony, as if the blade was poison to her. Seeing his chance, the blue eyed man picked up Rebellion and rammed it through her stomach. She screamed louder, feeling him pull the blade up into her chest while it was still impaled in her. The succubus collapsed, defeated.

Dante caught his breath, pulling the sword out of the fallen demon. "I guess those looks are useless now," he said sarcastically. As the man turned to go back upstairs, a weird sound stopped him in his tracks. He turned back to the demon and his eyes widened. The electricity that once flowed through her now began to engulf her body. It started at her feet, slowly working its way up her body. Once it left her legs, light skin was revealed. "W-what the...?" His eyes widened even more, watching the electricity destroy the gray skin and reveal something shocking.

Jet black hair began to show once the electric surges past the middle of her back. More light skin was shown. And if Dante wasn't shocked now, he would be when the electricity disappeared after engulfing the entire succubus. Laying before him was an unconscious woman. He knew her.

"...Azera...?"


	12. Family Secrets

**Note: **I do not own Devil May Cry or the DMC cast. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera/Calvaro, Noah, Nyorexs, the Crimson Flame and Suave.

**Re-cap:**

_Well, wasn't that a fun day? We got to see Dante dance. Dante. DANCING. And to salsa! How often does THAT happen? _

_And THE BIG SECRET HAS FINALLY BEEN REVEALED!!! Dante now knows Azera's biggest secret...that she's a half demon!! How will this effect the rest of the story?_

* * * * * * * *

Her vision was slowly beginning to return. The blurred world around her was brightening, revealing itself. She was staring straight up at a ceiling fan. Azera rubbed her eyes and sat up, feeling the mattress move underneath her. "Uhh...where am I...?" She held her head in her hands.

"You're in my room," replied a familiar voice. Azera turned in the direction from which the voice came from. Dante was leaning against the wall, his expression stern. He opened his eyes and glared at the black haired woman. "So, Azera, when were you planning on telling me that you're half demon?" Her light green orbs widened. How did he know? He couldn't have known; she never told him about her heritage.

She shook her head. "...What?" Maybe she hadn't heard correctly. "What are you talking about?" she asked him. He pushed himself off the wall and walked toward her, kneeling next to the mattress. "Don't lie to me, Azera," he told her in a low, serious tone. "I KNOW that you're a half demon. I saw your demon side. You've been coming to my house for the past two weeks, attacking me! Last night I took you down, and you reverted back to your human form." The look in his eyes began to relax. "There's just one thing I don't understand, though. Why did you lie to me?"

Azera felt his hand caress her cheek, his thumb rubbing her skin. She pulled away and got up, walking to the window. She stared out, hugging herself. "You're right. I lied about who I am. I'm a half demon." Her eyes trailed down to the hardwood floor. "But who would want to be with me if they knew the truth? You're probably thinking of leaving me right now. It's alright, Dante. I'm used to-"

The feeling of arms wrapping around from behind made her stop mid-sentence. Dante pulled Azera close to him, leaving no space between the two. Azera turned her head, seeing the silver haired man resting his chin on her shoulder. "Whether you're a half demon or a full human doesn't matter to me. I want to be with you all the same. Besides..." He let her go and backed up a few feet. The green eyed woman turned around to face him, and watched as red spheres surrounded him. His skin turned into red and black scales. The locks of silver on his head hardened and spiked up. His once icy blue eyes were replaced by an orange glow. The man that stood before had transformed into a demon.

Her eyed widened, surprised. Dante transformed back to his human form, his blue eyes and slivery white hair returning. "I'm just like you," he finished. "I'm a half breed." All the half human woman could do was stare at him. Was this for real? Was Dante really a half demon, juts like her? Were there really other people out there like her and her brother? She hoped she wasn't dreaming.

Dante got a surprise of his own when she suddenly hugged him tight and brushed her lips against his, lightly kissing him. It took her a moment to realize what she was doing and she let him go, moving away. "I'm sorry," she apologized, a red hue overtaking her face. "It's just that...I never thought there was someone out there like me. And I guess I just... I don't know what came over me. I probably-" A light skinned finger covered her lips, stopping her babbling. A pair of icy blue eyes captured her shocking green ones. She felt another hand hook around her neck.

"Don't talk," he told her, his voice now tender. He removed his finger from her mouth and move onto the back of her head. "Just close your eyes, and show me..." Dante closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips against Azera's. She felt her eyes slowly close and let herself submit into this new feeling inside of her. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He slid one hand from her neck down to her hip. His tongue started grazing her lower lip, begging for entrance. Azera willingly opened her mouth and felt his lips curve into a smirk. His tongue explored every corner of her mouth, not leaving a single inch untouched. His hand slipped around her waist, leaving no space between them.

They parted their lips and stared at each other. Azera wiped away some of the silver hair from his face, smiling. "By the way," Dante said to her, "your demon side is almost as sexy as you." Her smile grew wider, then suddenly disappeared.

"Wait a sec...you said you saw my demon side?" she asked him. He nodded, bringing a confused look on her face. "But that's impossible! My dad told me that I'd never be able to transform into my demon side." She held her amulet in her hand, rubbing her thumb against the emerald stone. Azera felt something rough on the other side and turned it over. "What the...?" Her eyes widened when she saw an inscription on the back of her silver plated amulet. The words were in a demon language, written in blood. "What the hell is this?" She grabbed Dante, who was already dressed, and jumped out the window. "Take me to my apartment," she ordered him. They arrived at her apartment within a few minutes and Azera ran upstairs. She came back down right away, dressed in her usual outfit. "Park your motorcycle and get in the car." Her dark plum overskirt followed behind her as she opened the driver's side door and got in her Volvo. The icy blue eyed man sat next to her and the silver car sped off.

"Where are we going?" Dante asked her, looking a little worried. Azera kept her eyes on the road. Her eyes narrowed.

"We're going to see my father."

They'd been on the road for almost two hours when she turned into a long driveway. Azera hadn't said a single word during the entire ride. The air had been tense. Dante had seen her mad before- at the bar, before she destroyed those demons- but nothing like this. This calm, serious anger scared the crap out of him. The Volvo suddenly halted in front of another car, a blue minivan.

Azera twisted the key and turned off the engine, unbuckling her seatbelt. She leaned her arms against the wheel, staring into space. "You're the son of Sparda, aren't you?" she asked him, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," he answered. "How'd you figure that out?" She rested her head on her forearms, turning to look at Dante.

"He and my father, Durasco, were best friends," Azera began to explain. "Together, they sealed away the demon world. While in battle, my father saved a woman from getting kidnapped, and ended up falling in love with her. After the human world was saved, they got married.

"The first nine years of my life were content. But then came my tenth birthday. I blacked out all of a sudden, and when I woke up...my mother was dead. A demon killed her." Dante met her gaze, shocked.

"I lost my mother to a demon, too," he whispered. She reached a hand out to him and ran the tips of her fingers along his jawline. They smiled at each other, then Azera sat upright and opened the car door. "Come on, let's go inside."

The two half demons walked up to the large tan house. It looked at least a hundred years old. For an ancient house, it was in pretty good shape. As they walked up the stairs and onto the porch, the wooden floor creaked loudly. "Quite a place your old man's got. Is this the place you grew up?"

"Yeah," she replied, ringing the doorbell. The door opened shortly after, revealing a man who looked an awful lot like Azera. The man had jet black hair that reached just below his ear, his bangs slightly concealing his shocking green eyes. He wore a gray button down shirt, dark blue jeans and sneakers. His face lit up when he saw the woman standing before him.

"Azera!" the man exclaimed, hugging her tight. "What brings you here, sis?" The black haired woman returned the hug, replying, "Oh, just came to visit my favorite brother and father. Are Carmen and the kids here?"

Noah nodded and led them both in. "Who's your friend?" he asked, referring to Dante. She rolled her eyes at her brother and followed him into the living room, where there was a brown haired woman and three children. Big grins came across the kids' faces when they saw Azera and they tackled her to the ground. Dante couldn't help but laugh while watching his woman giggle as she wrestled her niece and nephews. "Hey, guys, stop it!" They got off of her and she stood up, fixing her hair. "Noah, I need to talk to you and Dad about something. It's important."

His shocking green eyes stared at her for a moment. He knew what was coming. Noah sighed and led his sister into the parlor. "Hey Dad, someone's here to see you!" Hearing his voice, a figure came up from a red velvet armchair. Dante studied the figure closely. From the looks of it, he was a demon, but his current form made him look almost human. His skin was a deep shade of gray, with a few patches of scales here and there. He had light lavender eyes that stood out underneath his black hair. He dressed much like Dante remembered his own father used to dress- very formal. He wrapped his arms around Azera, nuzzling his face in her hair.

"How have you been, sweetheart?" Durasco asked his daughter, releasing her from his grasp. His light eyes caught sight of Dante. "Well, if it isn't the son of Sparda. Dante, you've grown so much since I last saw you."

"Dad," Azera interrupted, "There's something I need to talk to you and Noah about. It's important." Her father's smile faded, watching as his daughter unlatched her amulet and turned it over, letting the inscription show. "What's that written on the back of my amulet? I discovered it this morning. And not only that, but last night, Dante saw my demon side. You told me I'd never be able to transform into my demon side. What's going on?" She saw her family members exchange looks with each other. They looked concerned. "What is it?"

Durasco sighed. "I suppose your brother and I have kept the truth from you long enough. Come and sit with me." The four adults sat down in the parlor, Dante and Azera sitting next to each other on a small couch. "It all began the night before you were born. Your mother was already in labor, with Noah by her side. I was on my way to the hospital when I was stopped by a demon. A dear friend of mine, Nyorexs. He tried to talk me into undoing the seal on the demon world. When I refused, he tried to fight me. It had begun to rain hard during the battle, but I defeated him. Before he vanished, Nyorexs yelled out a curse and bestowed it on you. I got to the hospital right when you were born to make sure no harm had come to you. You were safe."

Azera looked at him, confused. "What does this have to do with the inscription?" Noah took over explaining everything to his sister.

"On your tenth birthday, you and I got into an argument. It was over something so stupid, but you started to get angrier and angrier...

* * * *

"_Sis?" Fourteen year old Noah started moving backward, fear swirling in his eyes. "Mom, Dad, there's something wrong with Azera!" _

_A pair of green eyes widened in shock at the sight of the ten year old girl. Azera's skin turned gray, and scales forming all over her body, much like her father's skin. Her jet black hair turned a frizzy silvery white. And the once shocking green orbs on her face transformed into a blood red, the white of her eyes now black. Her right arm became a large gauntlet, dark red electricity flowing through it. A great wind started blowing all around her, pushing back everything in its path._

_The green eyes staring at her were paired with a worried expression. "Durasco..." a woman's shaky voice called out. "Durasco, it's the curse, isn't it?" A freckled, light skinned hand moved some flowing reddish hair out of the woman's face, which also had freckles. Without thinking, she started running toward the young girl._

"_Roxanne, no!" Durasco shouted to his wife, "Come back!" But she ignored her husband's words and threw her arms around her daughter. She closed her eyes and prayed for her daughter to go back to normal. Suddenly, Roxanne felt something stab through her chest, exiting out her back. As blood began to drip from the corner of her mouth, she looked down and saw Azera's arm impaled into her. The electricity flowed through her body as she fell to the ground._

"_Mom!" Noah tacked down his sister, knocking her unconscious. Durasco was shaking at the sight of his beloved laying on the ground, a hole cut into her heart. He gently pulled her onto his lap, tears forming in his eyes. Seeing this, Roxanne gave him a weak smile and wiped away the tear before it could fall. Her son kneeled next to them, burying his face in his hands._

"_Noah..." she said in her weak voice, "you're a very sweet boy. Make sure you clean up after yourself and watch out for your sister." He nodded, wiping his face with his shirt. Roxanne turned to her husband, giving him a frail smile. "Sweetheart...I wouldn't trade the years I've spent with you for anything. I want you to do whatever it takes to protect the children. And please, don't tell Azera about this. I don't want her to think my death was her fault." She coughed, the shine and color in her eyes dulling out. "Durasco...I...I love you..." Her eyes closed for the final time, and her head slumped to the side._

* * * *

"...And that inscription on the back of your amulet is a seal, written in your mother's blood," her father finished. "It was put on you after your mother passed, to suppress your demon side. But I guess the seal has been weakening over the years."

Azera stared down at her now shaking hands, tears running down the sides of her face. She got up and walked toward the wall, hiding her face behind her hair. "No...It can't be...I'm a monster..." Her entire body was now convulsing. She laid her palm on her chest, pain starting to wreak havoc on her heart. Noah approached his sister and reached his hand out to her.

"Azera, it's alright. We know you didn't mean to do it. It wasn't your fault, it's because of the curse." He was about to touch her, but a dark red electric bolt made him flinch back. More electricity began surrounding the black haired woman's body, zapping her skin.

"Don't touch me..." she spoke, her voice beginning to change. "Stay away from me..." The amount of electricity nearly tripled, flowing on every part of her body. Her brother took a few steps back, giving a cautious glance to Dante and his father. They also saw the electric currents and braced themselves.

It was the start of Azera's Devil Trigger. Calvaro.


	13. Guilt

Note: I do not own Devil May Cry or the DMC cast. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera/Calvaro, Durasco, Noah, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

*Sorry for the wait, guys. Had a bit of writer's block a good way into the chapter xD

**Re-cap:**

_Well well well...the big moment came. I know you guys have been wondering when it was gonna happen. Chapter 12 was it. Dante and Azera's first kiss~! _

_And if that wasn't enough for you, I also revealed another major secret. Yeah, Azera killed her mother. Since there may be some confusion surrounding this, I'll explain it._

_The curse that Nyorexs placed on Azera caused her demon/Devil Trigger side to turn evil. Because she was unable to fight it, her demon side formed its own personality and mind- thus, Calvaro was born. It's shown through her gauntlet like hand , dark red electricity and blood red eyes. And it's because of the curse that Azera killed her mother, Roxanne. Knowing this, Durasco used his wife's blood and sealed her DT(Devil Trigger) so it would never come out again. Neither her father or brother ever told her about what happened...until the events in the previous chapter._

* * * * * * * *

"Shit!" Noah shouted. The metamorphosis was already getting under way. Her skin slowly began to turn gray, patches of scales forming all over her body. Her brother moved back, standing next to his father. The memories of that fateful day were returning. Fear began to swirl in his eyes. "Dad, we have to stop the transformation!" A dark red bolt of electricity hit his forearm, stinging him. The damaged skin turned purple, like a bruise, then disappeared. His shocking green orbs formed into a slit as he watched the purple patch vanish. Dante saw this and realized something.

Without thinking, the half demon went up to Azera and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Durasco rose a hand to stop him, but put it down when he saw his daughter begin to return to normal. The scales gradually receded. The dark red electric currents stopped flowing around her body. The black haired woman's face was covered in tears. _I killed her,_ she thought to herself. _I killed Mom..._ She pulled herself out of Dante's grasp and ran up the carpeted flight of stairs. The silver haired man wanted to go after her, but a light skinned hand stopped him. "I'll go comfort her," Noah reassured, and followed his sister to the second floor.

Dante sat back down and sighed. "We have to break that curse," he told the demon standing before him. "Those aren't normal electric currents. The dark red color is from a poison. It's slowly killing her." Durasco sat across from him in his armchair.

"I know," he replied. "I never thought Nyorexs would go this far and use my daughter. He used to be one of my closest friends. I knew him long before I met your father. Once he heard that I was going to help Sparda seal away the demon realm, he vanished." The gray skinned demon paused for a moment, sipping his tea. "I haven't seen him since the day Azera was born." Loud footsteps caught their attention. It was a woman, with brown hair and hazel eyes, and three children. The kids ran to Durasco and jumped on his lap, bouncing up and down.

"Hey, hey. Grandpa's not a trampoline." She picked up the smallest child, who looked to be around 5 years old. "Sorry, Durasco. Noah snuck them some candy before Azera arrived."

The lavender eyed demon chuckled. "It's alright, Carmen. No harm done." The middle child, who looked about 7, stared at Dante with curious jade green orbs. She smiled and walked up to him, her eyes fixed on his. "You have pretty eyes," she said to him. Durasco and Carmen laughed. Dante couldn't help but to laugh as well. "Mommy, can Mr. Dante play with us?" All the children's faces lit up, facing their mother. "Please?" they asked her in unison.

She crossed her arms and glanced at the blue eyed man. "It wouldn't be any trouble, would it?" Dante shook his head and got up, letting the kids lead him away.

* * * *

_Meanwhile..._

Noah knocked on the white door at the end of the hallway. "Sis? Can I come in?" No answer. He turned the doorknob and entered his sister's childhood room. The walls were a deep cerulean hue. On the farthest wall, there was a pair of french doors that were open, leading to a balcony. Against the left wall was a small bed, where Azera laid on her stomach. Noah could hear her crying. He sighed and walked over to his sister, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Azera..." he started, "it wasn't your fault. It's that curse. Don't beat yourself up for something that wasn't your fault." He lightly patted his sister's leg and felt the bed shift. Azera sat up and buried her face in her brother's shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She wiped some of the tears from her face. "Why'd you and Dad keep this from me all this time?"

The black haired man sighed again. "It was Mom's dying wish that we keep this a secret." He could feel her heart beat faster. "But I think she'll understand." He saw her get up and walk onto the terrace, leaning her arms against the railing. More tears started forming. "You know what sucks, Noah? The guy who cursed me has been hunting me down since I moved out." Noah's eyes widened. "Last week was the last time Nyorexs visited me. Choke slammed me into a brick wall. He said something about this soon being all over." Azera turned around and faced her brother. "I'm gonna get that son of a bitch if it's the last thing I do." She took a deep breath and headed for the door, a smile on her face. "Let's go back to the others." Her brother nodded and followed her out the door.

The two siblings set foot on the first floor and saw their father. He walked up to his daughter and hugged her tight, rubbing her back. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. We should have told you." Azera looked at her father and softly smiled.

"It's okay, Dad. I know you only wanted to protect me." He returned the smile and let her go. "Hey, where's Carmen and the kids?" Durasco motioned for them to follow him and made his way to the back of the house. The backyard was enormous. It occupied almost an acre of land. Carmen was sitting on the patio, laughing.

The demon family sat with her. "You've found yourself quite the man, Azera," she told her sister in law. "The kids love him, especially Hannah." Azera's smile grew wider. "Where is Dante, anyway?" Carmen pointed to her kids, who were making like frogs and hopping all over the silver haired demon slayer. He was being tackled by the three kids. Dante managed to get up and started running around, with the three little ones chasing him. He had a big grin plastered across his face. "I swear, if you two were married, he'd make one hell of a father." The green eyed woman heard this and felt blood rush to her cheeks. Her? Married to Dante? Such a thought had never crossed her mind before. She didn't even know if she was in lo- Her thoughts were interrupted when her older nephew, Shane, grabbed her hand and pulled her to the others.

"Hey, glad you can make it," Dante said to her when she reached him. "Okay guys...get her!" Azera started running from them, only to be caught by the silver haired man. He had his muscular arms around her waist and swung her around, tackling her to the ground. The kids soon caught up and knocked Dante down next to their aunt. Shane, Hannah and their brother Zack laid beside the adults, giggling and catching their breath. "Kids, time to eat!" they heard Noah call out to the kids. They said their 'awws' and got up, running back to the house. Carmen led the kids and her husband inside and Durasco followed.

Azera saw everyone going inside and wen to get up, but Dante pulled her back. "Oh no you don't! I'm not done with you yet." He started wrestling her on the grass and eventually pinned her down, his legs on either side of her waist. He leaned closer to her, staring into her shocking green eyes. She returned the stare into his icy blue ones. "Remember this?" he whispered, a smirk across his face.

"Of course I do," Azera replied. "We were negotiating a price. I won my half, and you won yours."

"No I didn't. I'm still waiting for my prize." He gave her a sexy smirk. "When am I gonna get it?" He leaned in more, until his nose touched hers. His lips lightly brushed against hers.

"How about now?" She moved her hand around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Dante slid his arm around her waist and pulled her up, never breaking the kiss. He placed a hand on the back of her head and deepened the kiss. His tongue grazed her bottom lip, begging for entrance, and she opened her mouth. He went for her tongue and a battle for dominance began. To his surprise, Azera won. She heard him growl, which made her smirk and kiss him with more passion. A moan came out from her and she pulled away, blushing. They sat on the grass, staring into each other's eyes. "How was that?"

Dante pushed some stray hair out of her face, hooking it behind her ear. "Perfect..." He lightly kissed her lips one more time, then helped her to her feet. Azera placed her hand in his and they walked back to the old house. "You're quite the kisser, you know."

* * * *

The day passed quickly, darkness beginning to overtake the skies. Carmen and Noah had taken the kids home, finding them passed out on the couch. Shortly afterward, Dante and Azera decided to call it a day as well. The black haired woman placed her hand on the front door to push it open, but suddenly stopped. She turned around.

"Dad..." she started to say to him, "can I cut some flowers from your garden? ...I want to visit Mom on my way back home." Durasco's eyes widened a bit, then relaxed. He nodded and softly smiled. Dante followed Azera to the side of the house, where a row of carnations and lavender grew. She pulled out a few of each and went into the car.

The ride to Roxanne's grave was just as intense as the ride to her father's house that same morning. Like before, she hadn't said a word the entire way there. But there was one difference. Before, her shocking green eyes had anger and confusion swirling in them. Now, no emotion could be shown in them. No sadness, no rage... nothing. He hated not seeing a smile on her face.

The silver vehicle slowed to a halt near a grassy hill. Azera stared at the windshield, slightly seeing her reflection with a blank look. Dante reached out his hand and gently rubbed her shoulder, feeling her soft skin against his fingers.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked her. The only movement she made was taking a deep breath.

"No. This is something I have to do alone. I won't be long." The silver haired man let her go and watched as she got out of the Volvo and walked up the hill.

The half demon woman stopped in front of a thick slab of rock, which stood about two feet tall. It was made of brown and blue granite. Words were engraved into the stone.

_Roxanne Durasco. Beloved mother, wife, daughter, sister. _She saw that the word_ grandmother _had been added on, probably after her brother's kids were born. Azera laid the pink and purple flowers beside the tombstone.

"Hey, Mom. It's me. You probably weren't expecting to see me today. I brought your favorite flowers for you." She kneeled in front of the grave. "Don't get mad when you hear this, but Noah and Dad told me what really happened on the day you passed away. Don't blame them. I kind of forced them to tell me." Her eyes fell to the shoots of grass laying against her jeans. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "...I am so sorry, Mom. I am so sorry I hurt you. I'm so sorry I KILLED you!" The tears started rolling off her cheeks and hitting the ground. "I know you don't want me to think it's my fault, but I do! How can I not? What kind of daughter would do such a thing? Cursed or not, you died by my hand! Knowing you were dead was already bad enough!" She placed her hands on her face. "I'm sorry!" She repeated those two words many times, but knew nothing would happen because of it. The past couldn't be changed, whether she liked it or not. She started to gather herself together, finally calming down, and headed back to the car.

They arrived back at Devil May Cry at around eleven at night. Dante unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to Azera. "I guess you're gonna bring my motorcycle back for me in the morning, then?" Again, she didn't look back at him and only nodded. The blue eyed man leaned closer to her and kissed her, hoping to perk up her mood a little. She kissed him back, but not the way she usually did. She pulled back after only a few, still not meeting his gaze. "Goodnight..." He got out of the car and walked into his shop, hearing the Volvo roar down the street.

Azera stormed into her bedroom and threw herself onto her queen sized bed, letting out a big sigh. She reached for her pillow and hugged it, before letting sleep overtake her body and mind.


	14. Stress Relief

**Note: **I do not own Devil May Cry or the DMC cast. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera/Calvaro, Durasco, Noah, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

Come on people, send in your reviews~! I only got four so far. I needz MOAH~! Also, once this story is finished, I'll be doing one for either Fullmetal Alchemist, Resident Evil or Death Note.

**Re-cap:**

_The previous chapter focused mostly on Azera's family and the big secret. Yes, those are Noah and Carmen's three kids. I thought it was just too adorable when Hannah told Dante he had pretty eyes. I mean, who could resist a cute comment from a cute little girl?_

_And not only is Azera's demon side evil and deadly, but it turns out that it's starting to slowly kill her. The dark red electricity, given from Nyorexs' curse, has a lethal poison in it. And since it flows through her body when she's in Devil Trigger, it takes away a little bit of her life. Just keep this in mind for further chapters._

* * * * * * * *

A pair of shocking green orbs slowly fluttered open. A light skinned hand pushed away her jet black bangs from her line of sight. She looked around. The sky was a dark navy color, with tiny sprinkles of light scattered across it. She could feel sand and gravel on the soles of her bare feet. Azera started walking along the gravel covered ground, letting her eyes scan her surroundings. _It's strange..._ she thought in her mind, _why do I recognize this place?_ She stopped when she saw a stone castle a few yards away. It reminded her of those castles used in horror movies- thorny plants surrounding it, no lights shining from the windows. _This seems familiar too... _

Suddenly, she was being pulled toward the large stone structure. _What the...?_ Azera tried to run from the mysterious force, but it only got stronger. Whatever it was, it pulled her through the castle's entrance and into a large room that resembled the church in Fortuna. Moonlight shone through the stained glass windows, emitting a colored glow onto the concrete floor. She looked forward to see someone standing on the altar, their back to her. Long reddish hair flowed down the person's back, forming into a loose braid. Brown and green cloth draped over the light freckled skin. Azera stepped closer to the figure, then stopped in her tracks when it began to turn around. Her jaw dropped when she saw the person's face. A pair of emerald green eyes stared at her. Blood trickled from the corner of the redheaded woman's mouth and dripped into a large puddle on the ground. The black haired woman could see a large gash in the person's chest, and it was deep.

_...Mom? _As suddenly as she'd appeared, Roxanne's voice began to echo throughout the room.

"_Why did you do it, Azera..." _ she spoke._ "Why did you kill me?"_

Azera started shaking her head, tears welling up in her eyes. I never meant to, Mom. I didn't mean to kill you. Two more figures appear on either side of Roxanne, taking the forms of Her father and brother. Like her mother, they too had large gashes in their chests and a dead look in their eyes. All three of them began talking, all blaming her for Roxanne's death. Then, their voices ceased and they disappeared. Azera saw a pair of glowing orange eyes suck them in and grow larger. She took a step closer, then froze when she heard yet another voice, this time behind her.

"_I've got you, Azera..."_

The green eyed woman slowly turned around to see a pair of icy blue eyes staring back at her. A muscular hand reached out to her, paired with a gentle smile.

"_I've got you, Azera..." _Dante repeated. _"I'll protect you, I swear it on my life." _Azera looked at his hand, which was still waiting for her. She reached out and placed her hand in his, feeling his fingers wrap around it. She felt him pull her closer, until she could feel the warmth of his chest against her own. He started leaning closer to her until their lips were barely touching. The half demon woman closed her eyes and awaited the soothing touch of his kiss.

She felt Dante's hand drop and opened her eyes. They widened when she saw him bleeding profusely through a gaping hole in his chest. More of the thick red liquid began to drip from his mouth, his icy blue orbs wide. She could feel something warm trickling on her arm. Her eyes trailed down and widened even more when she caught sight of it. Her right arm had gone pitch black, with dark red electricity flowing around it, and had been impaled through the silver haired man. _"...Why, Azera? I thought you loved me..."_ Azera shook her head in disbelief. _I didn't do this, Dante. It wasn't me... _Tears fell from her cheeks.

And as if none of this was bad enough, a new voice filled the air.

"**Oh, yes it WAS you..."** it said to her. This voice was much different from all the others. She didn't recognize it. It was like someone was speaking into one of those microphones that could disguise your voice, using more than one pitch simultaneously. **"You killed your mommy with your own two hands, and you're gonna kill everyone else too...ESPECIALLY your little half demon lover."** Then, like he'd never been in front of her, Dante was gone. In his place, there was a giant full length mirror. In the reflection was a sight Azera had hoped to see all her life- her demon side. However, it wasn't like anything she'd anticipated. Her once shocking green orbs now glowed the color of blood, a pair of matching lips curved into a sadistic smile.

_This can't be me... _Azera pleaded, _You CAN'T be me!!!_ She heard the multi-pitched voice cackle in a roaring laugh. Her blackened hand reached through the glass, gripped her neck and squeezed tight, until the last bit of air left her lungs...

Azera jumped up, her shocking green eyes wide. Sweat covered her entire body, heartbeat uneven. Jet black locks of hair stuck to her cheeks. This was the second night in a row she'd had that nightmare. And like yesterday, she'd woken up drenched in her own sweat and breathing like she was about to faint.

The sunlight shone from behind the sheer black curtains. The half demon woman rolled out of bed and pulled them apart, bringing light into the apartment. She opened the pair of french doors that led to the balcony and stood on it. A smile worked its way across her face as she took in the new day. Elanay City hadn't looked this beautiful since she'd first moved there, and THAT was a rarity these days.

"Looking good up there."

She looked down and saw Dante staring up at her, a smirk plastered across his face. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one foot. "I got called for a job downtown. Wanna give me a hand?" That Dante. He knew how stressed she'd been ever since discovering the truth about her mother, and how slaying demons relieved it. She'd kill a few, breathe a sigh of relief and end up happier than before.

"Only if I get half," she replied. The silver haired demon chuckled. "I'll be ready in five minutes." She ran back inside, took a quick shower and put her clothes on. Once she was ready, Azera grabbed her knives and Affliction and jumped off the balcony, landing on the ground. Dante watched her stand to her full height and raised an eyebrow. Azera saw this and tilted her head.

"What? Haven't you ever made a dramatic entrance before?" He raised a finger, opening his mouth to argue back, but remembered the time at Fortuna where he'd crashed through the stained glass skylights and landed on the altar, and stopped. "Exactly. So are we taking my car?" Dante shook his head and walked over to the corner of the apartment building, pulling out his motorcycle from behind. The silver haired man grabbed one of the two helmets that laid atop the upholstered seat and tossed it to Azera. He pulled the other one over his head and sat on the motorcycle, patting the seat behind him. She smirked and put it on, taking the empty seat.

"Hold on tight," he said to her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and interlocked her fingers in a secure grip. Dante twisted one of the handlebars and revved the vehicle to life, speeding down the street. The wind beat against Azera's exposed skin and pulled her hair behind her. Her shocking green eyes were shut tight, despite the glass plate between her face and the wind. They opened when she heard the roar of the motorcycle become faint. She released her grip on the half demon man and pulled off her helmet. Looking at her surroundings, she spotted a group of people standing outside of what looked like a junior high school. A window or two were broken on the second floor. More people, mostly students, were running out of the building. "Here we are." The black haired woman turned to her partner in disbelief.

"Are you fucking serious, Dante?" she asked. "A school?" He nodded in response and she pinched between her eyebrows. The two demon hunters walked toward the small crowd.

"You must be the ones we called," the adult of the group started. She wore a brown skirt and a gray button down shirt with a pair of stockings and heels. Definitely the principal. "Some demons came out of nowhere and started running through the halls."

"Did you evacuate everyone?" Azera asked her. The woman shook her head.

"More of those monsters appeared before we could get everyone out. I think there are still a few students inside." The green eyed woman nodded and ran into the building, with Dante following close behind. Before they reached the first classroom, one of the demons appeared and went in to attack them. Dante pulled out Ebony and shot it dead. He then kicked open the door to the first classroom and looked inside.

"Nobody in here." They continued kicking down doors until they reached a stairwell, where they heard a scream. Azera dashed up the stairs and found a student running from one of the demons. She unsheathed Affliction and jammed the blade into the devil, slicing it in half. She grabbed the kid's hand and led him out of the building, running back in to find the rest.

"Hey Dante," she yelled, "you head up to the top floor. I think the head honcho might be up there. I'll go look for the rest of the kids." He nodded and flew up to the third floor. A strong demonic scent lingered in the air. She was right. Dante ran down the hall, following the scent to the end. He pulled out Rebellion and went through the last doorway, and saw the demon jumping on the desks. It looked something like a cross between a giant lizard and a bunch of machetes. Once the demon caught sight of the hunter, it let out an ear shattering shriek and eight more smaller versions of it appeared.

Down on the second floor, Azera found the last of the students hiding inside a janitor's closet. Her eyes were red from crying and she held onto her upper arm. Blood was seeping from in between her fingers and staining her turquoise sleeve.

"Don't worry, sweetie, you're safe now." She put on a reassuring smile, which seemed to calm her a bit. Azera kneeled next to her and gently moved her hand from the injury. It wasn't too deep, which was good. She tore off the bottom of her overskirt and tied it around the young girl's arm, then picked her up and carried her into the hallway. Se was halfway to the stairwell when yet another demon discovered her. The girl's gray eyes widened and she buried her face in Azera's neck. The half devil woman gripped the hilt of her sword tight and waited for the demon to launch at her. Once airborne, she pointed the blade in front of her and swung, piercing right through its head. It squirmed until she slammed it into a wall, killing it. Azera sheathed Affliction and ran down the stairs. She set down the girl, who immediately ran to her parents. Seeing this brought a soft smile to her face. The sound of footsteps got her attention and she turned around. Dante walked up to her, placing Ebony and Ivory back in their holsters. "What took you so long?"

Dante shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, you're the one who told me to go for the big cheese. It just so happens out he had friends." The principal of the school approached them, a look of relief on her face.

"Thank you so much," she said to them. "We owe you a great deal." She handed Dante a briefcase, thanked them again, and went back to the students. The two demon slayers got back on the motorcycle and drove back to Azera's apartment.

By the time they reached her apartment, the sky had begun to darken. Dante parked the motorcycle in front and followed Azera up to her door. She took out her keys and unlocked the door, leading him in. He let out a low whistle as his icy blue eyes scanned her place. It was so much different than his. It was...clean. Something he wasn't very used to.

"Nice place you got here," he commented. The black haired woman unstrapped the pouch from her thigh and placed it on the shelf above her desk. She unsheathed her sword and leaned it against the wall next to her bed. Dante followed her into the bedroom and took a seat on her bed, watching her take off the torn overskirt and boots.

"Thanks," she replied. "Unfortunately, though, I'm not staying. Gotta go to my other job down at the Crimson Flame. I'll be in the shower. There's some strawberry ice cream in the freezer if you want some." Strawberry? That was all it took for Dante to leave the room and go straight to the kitchen. Azera rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Once he heard the shower turn on, the silver haired man snuck back into the bedroom, a bowl of strawberry ice cream in hand. He set down the bowl and reached in his coat pocket, pulling out a small square box. A white ribbon was tied around it, holding it closed. He took out half of the money from the briefcase and placed it on her bed, placing the box on top of it, and left her apartment. He had to get back to Devil May Cry incase there was another customer.

Azera got out of the shower a few minutes later. She had a towel wrapped around her torso, water dripping from her soaked hair. "Dante?" He wasn't anywhere to be found. "Dante, where are yo-" She stopped when her eyes caught sight of the small square box on her bed. "What's this?" She sat on the bed and untied the ribbon, pulling off the lid from the box. Azera gasped when she saw what was inside. Attached to a white gold chain was an oval shaped locket, with a design engraved on top. She traced the tip of her finger along the smooth metal. It must've cost a fortune. Turning it over, a smile crept onto her face when she read the words on the back:

_'From Dante, With Love'_


	15. Affliction vs Yamato

**Note: **I do not own Devil May Cry or the DMC cast. They belong to Capcom. But I do own Azera/Calvaro, Durasco, Noah, Nyorexs and the Crimson Flame.

**Re-cap:**

_Looks like Azera had quite a day. She went on her first job with Dante. Who would've thought demons would raid a junior high school? And now we know how she gets rid of stress. So if you ever need some demons to be taken care of, call Azera when she's pissed off~!_

_Wait a second...a junior high school? Whoa, and while the students are still inside too. These demons just can't wait to wreak havoc, can they?_

_Aww, Dante gave her a present! Even half demon women love jewelry. And it's engraved too! Guess Azera's really bringing out his soft side._

_And yes, Dante stole all her strawberry ice cream._

* * * * * * * * * *

_'From Dante, With Love'_

The words made her heart sing. It wasn't the first gift she'd received from a guy, but it sure was the sweetest. Azera read the message over and over again, each time smiling wider. Knowing about his debt issues, she never expected Dante to give her something like the locket. White gold was expensive these days. Her shocking light green eyes traveled from her clock back to the gift, but darted straight back to the clock. 6:50.

"Crap!" she shouted, almost loud enough for her neighbors to hear. "It's almost seven! I'm gonna be late!" How long had she been staring at the locket? Oh well, no time to figure that out now. She ran back into the bathroom and quickly ran a brush and blow dryer through her thick jet black locks. It was dry within a minute or two. Azera ran the brush through her hair one last time and walked back into the bedroom to her closet. "Now...what to wear..." Her eyes scanned over every piece of clothing in her closet once. Her light skinned hand reached out and pulled several things from the closet, throwing them onto her bed. She finally picked a few pieces to wear and hung the rest back up. Once she was dressed, she studied herself in the full length mirror mounted on the bathroom door. Azera had on tight dark gray leggings that ended just above her ankles. Her favorite pair of sleek black leather boots covered her feet, all the way up to her knees. Draped over her torso was a dark navy silk top that hugged her curves. It went all the way down to her thighs. The left sleeve was entirely cut off; only a small part of the fabric let the top hold onto her upper arm. On the right side was a tight long sleeve that went from her shoulder down to her wrist. Her emerald amulet rested on her chest as it always had. She reached over to her bed and picked up the white gold locket, studying it once more. A smile worked its way across her face again. She unlatched the clasp and put the chain around her neck, closing it in the back. She took one last look in the mirror before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.

The black haired woman flew down the three flights of stairs to the apartment building's entrance. The job she took with Dante earlier that day had really relieved the stress from her family. And now, she was going to relax and have fun, doing her favorite thing at her favorite place. Azera reached the first floor and walked down the hallway to the front door of her building. She pushed the heavy metal door open and made her way to the Crimson Flame to start her shift.

Azera hadn't felt this way in a while. She made some new friends. She had two careers that paid very well. And to top it all, she had a wonderful man in her life, one she didn't feel she had to hide anything from. Everything in her life was perfect...

Except for this eerie cold feeling that seemed to be following her, as if she was being watched. She stopped and took a quick look behind her. Nobody was there. She took a deep breath. No demons were around. "Must've been my imagination," she murmured, turning around and continuing toward her destination.

She arrived at the Crimson Flame shortly after leaving her apartment. Everyone greeted her as she made her way to the bar in the back. Azera got behind the counter and started making drinks. Requests for her Sweet n' Sour martini and other drinks were flying at her from up and down the counter.

"Three Sweet n' Sour martinis over here."

"Coming right up." Azera turned around and grabbed three martini glasses and the ingredients. She mixed everything together, sliced a few mint leaves, poured the mixture into the glasses and handed them to the customers, collecting the money the customer handed her.

"Can I have a scotch on the rocks?"

"Just a moment." She put the money into the cash register and turned around, grabbing the bottle of scotch and a short glass. She filled the glass with ice and poured the liquid into it, handing it to the customer. More money came her way, which she put into the register. When Azera turned around to put the bottles back, she heard one of the stools creak against the marble floor. Another customer.

Azera turned on one heel to the new customer. "Hello, what can I get-"

She froze when her eyes caught sight of the man in front of her. He had a striking resemblance to Dante.

He was light skinned and looked well built. Silvery white locks sprouted from his head. Most of it was spiked back, with some strands hanging in front of a pair of icy blue eyes. Like Dante, he had bristle like hairs lining his chin and jaw. He wore a black turtleneck shirt with a closed cerulean jacket on top. The jacket had black trim and a black collar and cuffs, which were neatly folded over. Two rows of silver buttons went down the middle of the regal piece of clothing. On the collar and cuffs was an intricate silver design that matched the ones on his shoulders. A thin black strap held up a loose belt that hung around his waist. His elbows were on the granite counter top, his chin resting atop his folded hands.

Vergil gave Azera a cold stare, which made her jump out of her trance. She shook her head and cleared her throat. "What'll it be?"

"Smirnoff," he answered without breaking his gaze. "Green Apple." Azera could literally feel the chill radiate from each word as they rolled off his tongue. She knelt down for a moment to get the bottle.

_Where have I felt this before? _The half demon woman asked herself. _I know I've felt this chill somewhere...But where? _She shoved the thought into the back of her mind. Maybe the answer would come to her after work, once she was away from all the noise. She stood back up and tore off the bottle cap, placing the cold glass bottle on the counter. He grabbed it, his skin brushing lightly against hers. Heignored the feeling and sipped the clear bubbly liquid. Vergil shoved his other hand into his pocket and handed Azera the money for his drink.

"Keep the change." His voice wasn't as chilled this time.

She put the money into the cash register. Her eyes trailed back to the mysterious man. It couldn't be pure coincidence that he looked so much like her boyfriend. But then again, Dante had never mentioned any family members other than his parents and twin brother. And as far as he knew, none of them were alive. Still, who else in the entire world- demon or human- had the same exact features as Dante? ...Well, his hair could've just as easily been bleached. Her light green orbs left him for a second and she stared up at the ceiling, pondering. Azera decided to make some small talk with this stranger to find out about him.

"Excuse me for asking," she started, "but is that your natural hair color?" She turned back to where Vergil was sitting and found an empty stool. "Huh? Where'd he go?" He wasn't anywhere in the bar. He'd left the bottle behind, which was amazingly empty.

Okay, that was just creepy. Not only does a weird guy appear out of thin air, but he looks like a carbon copy of Dante, he gives off a chill she's felt somewhere before, AND he vanishes as mysteriously as he came. There had to be a logical explanation. But Azera couldn't think about this now. She didn't have the time for that. More people were raiding the bar.

* * * * * *

"I'll see you later, Gus." Azera waved to her boss and started walking down the street back to her apartment.

"Bye, Azera." The tan haired man waved back to her and locked the door to the Crimson Flame. He glanced at his watch. 2:25. It was the latest night they'd had in a while. He headed over to his red Volkswagon Jetta and climbed into the driver's seat, speeding off.

The black haired woman yawned, stretching her arm over her head. She needed to get more sleep. Maybe she'd take the day off tomorrow and sleep in. Then again, her family and friends would probably wake her up at ten in the morning to go out or something. Lady, Kyrie and Trish would ask her if she wanted to join them for a girls' day out. She'd get a call from her brother, telling her that the kids wanted to go to the zoo or the park. Or maybe Nero and Dante would ask if she wanted to go demon hunting with them. She'd find out come tomorrow.

Azera was just a few blocks from her house when she suddenly froze in her tracks. The chilly sensation...it came back. It was much stronger this time, though, like a blast of blizzard air. Now she knew she wasn't hallucinating before. It was coming from behind her, hitting her exposed skin hard. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Yup, same scent as before.

"I see you waited until I got off of work." She turned around and faced Vergil. He had the same cold expression on his face as he did back at the bar. His icy blue eyes were glued onto her. "Now that you're here, I've got some questions for you. And you're gonna answer all of them." She glared at him, hoping it would shake him up like the guys she pummeled a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, it didn't phase him. He just kept staring at her, taking a step forward. Azera hadn't noticed until now, but the stranger had something hanging from his belt. A...katana? It had a black hilt with light gray stitching, and a gold guard. On the dark navy case that covered the blade was a gold design. It looked something like twisting vines with thorns on them. A gold ribbon was tied around the hilt.

_Wait a second... _Nero's katana Yamato was stolen. The sword the man before her held matched his description perfectly, except for the gold detail on the case. Was this the man who stole Yamato?

"You're Azera, I assume?" He took another step toward the light green eyed woman. She tilited her head to the side, crossing her arms.

"So what if I am?" she asked, taking a step back. Something was definitely off about this man. He looked like a mirror image of Dante. He had Yamato in his possession. He waited for her to get off of work so he could follow her. Just who was this guy? "And who would you be?"

"You're coming with me," he stated, ignoring her question. He pushed up the katana with his thumb and gripped its handle, pulling it out of its sheath. Azera moved her hand down to her waist and looked down when she didn't feel her sword. _Shit, I forgot. It's back in the apartment. Guess I'll have to make due with my fists._ She tightened her fists and raised them up to her chest, ready for him to make a move. But as soon as she looked back up, he was gone. _What the hell? Where'd he go?_ She suddenly felt a cold metal blade press up against her collarbone, a chilling presence following it. He glared at her with a great intensity. "I strongly suggest you don't bother trying to fight back. You'll only end up hurting yourse-"

Vergil was cut off when he felt an immense pain erupt between his legs. His eyes immediately shut tight and he dropped Yamato, his hands traveling to the pained area. The silver haired man staggered a little and fell to one knee, breathing heavily and blacking out for a second. "Son of a...mother fucking..." Half demon or not, he was still a guy, which unfortunately meant that groin kicks with pointed heels hurt no matter what. Azera spun around and went to send her fist into his cheek, but he quickly regained himself and caught her wrist. She tried punching him with her free hand only to have it caught too. The blue eyed man slammed her into the ground, picking up Yamato and jabbing the hilt into her stomach.

"Ggh!" Azera kicked upward, nailing Vergil in his jaw. The tip of her heel dug into his flesh, causing a long gash to appear. He flinched as she flipped back onto her feet and lunged for another kick. He caught her by the ankle and threw her into one of the buildings. She hit the wall hard and landed face down. When Azera pushed herself up, she saw a large metal pipe on the ground in front of her. She could hear the steps of his black boots coming closer. She took ahold of the pipe and jumped back on her feet. Vergil stomped toward her, only to jump back to avoid the pipe being swung at him. The sharp edge slashed across his stomach, ripping through his clothing and into his skin. He staggered back a bit as he grabbed Yamato's hilt and unsheathed it, sending a slice her way. The half demon woman rolled out of the way of his oncoming attack. She dodged enough to keep the damage away from her vital organs but couldn't escape receiving a long slash on her thigh. Vergil sent several more her way and she avoided all except for the last. It cut down the middle of her entire shirt and sliced her skin, leaving a long line that traveled from between her cleavage to just above her waist. The fabric separated and almost revealed her bits.

The silver haired man had lost his train of thought when he realized just exactly where he'd decided to slice her. He stood in a trance as her shirt split in half and a line of light skin and blood was exposed. Azera saw him staring and looked down at her top, quickly tying it before any more of her chest could be revealed. Still frozen, Vergil was awakened when his opponent delivered a kick to his face. The force of her kick's impact made him spin and stumble before he could regain his balance. He leaped off the ground and flipped backward in time to avoid several drop kicks. While in the air, Vergil summoned a few glowing swords and shot them at her, planning on pinning her to the ground so she wouldn't squirm around. Azera had no way of evading them and took them head on. One grazed her shoulder, three left long claw like scratches along her stomach, and the last two jammed themselves through her hands and into the tar street. They were stuck too far in to try and pull it out. Vergil strode over to where she was trapped and sheathed Yamato, kneeling next to her. He grabbed a handful of her jet black locks, pulled her head close to his and began to whisper.

"You're coming with me," he growled at her, "whether you like it or not." Azera glared back at him, knowing she couldn't do much else.

"...What do you want me for so bad?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about Nyorexs." Azera's eyes widened. How did he know about Nyorexs? Vergil saw this and knew she understood. "Yes, I know all about you little connection with him."

"Good, so you can tell me because I sure as hell don't!" She felt her head being slammed into the ground. This guy obviously didn't know a thing about handling a woman.

"Don't act like you don't know." He pulled her head up by the jet black locks attached, their eyes meeting. "He's been tracking you down for the past ten years. Nyorexs sent me to get you, since you obviously were able to escape all his other attempts. You seem to possess something I need to regain my demonic power."

"Wait a second, you're a...you're a demon?" He nodded and went to lift the glowing swords out of her hands. Big mistake. The moment his skin touched hers, Azera ripped her hands from their impalement and grabbed Vergil by his neck, throwing him with all her strength into the closest building. Parts of the stone structure crumbled upon impact. She immediately ran off and never turned back. Once she was safe in her apartment, Azera let her body fall limp onto the bed. She glanced up at her clock. 3:57. The little brawl with Vergil had lasted much longer than expected. As her shocking green orbs began to close, her thoughts raced.

_Okay, let's see if I've got all this. Some demon that looks almost exactly like Dante stole Yamato and teamed up with Nyorexs. And now they're BOTH hunting me down because I possess something? Fuck..._

Azera rolled onto her side, opening her eyes and looking out the balcony. Vergil hadn't followed her, but she knew he'd be back. Nobody around her was safe anymore. Not even Dante, the half demon man she cared so deeply for.

She had to make a decision.


	16. Goodbye

**Note:** Devil May Cry and its characters belong to Capcom. Shion belongs to my friend ~The-Bone-Snatcher on DeviantART. Everyone else belongs to me.

**Re-cap:**

_Well look who finally met each other~! After fifteen long chapters, Azera and Vergil meet face to face for the first time! And what a meeting it was. Who knew Vergil could be taken down so easily? XD All it took was one little kick to his nuts._

_And guess what? Because of a RP I have been doing with my good friend ~The-Bone-Snatcher on DeviantART, one more new character will be added to the story. Who is it, you ask? Read on and find out~!_

_*Okay, this chapter contains a bit of lemonade. Just to warn you guys. :P_

* * * * * * * * * *

She hadn't slept the entire night. She'd stayed in the same position ever since she got home, keeping her eyes fixated on the outside. The same gaze remained in her shocking green eyes. Despair and hopelessness swam around in them. Thoughts raced in her mind.

She had to make a decision. The most difficult decision of her life.

Azera turned over, laying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. There had to be some other way to solve this problem. But she knew there was only one option.

Or...maybe there _was_ another choice. Azera immediately got up and walked over to her closet, fishing out some fresh clothes. She hadn't changed out of the ones Vergil tore up with Yamato. The black haired woman threw off what remained of her clothing and put on her usual outfit, grabbing her weapons and running out the door. There was only one person who could help her, and she was possibly Azera's last hope.

Downtown, rock music was blasting from a seventh floor apartment window. People walking down the street could hear the sounds of an electric guitar and drums beating. Up in the apartment, a woman was sitting on her bed, watching a video on her laptop. Sitting on her left was a box of Chinese food with noodles hanging out from the sides. Her light skinned hand reached for it and picked up a pair of chopsticks sitting inside the container, grabbing some noodles and stuffing them in her mouth. Her soft brown eyes were glued to the computer screen. She brushed a few stray red-brown hairs from her face and went to take another bite from her food, but stopped when she heard a tapping noise on her window.

"Only one person I know comes through the window," she reminded herself, letting out a small sigh. She got up from her bed and walked over to the window, pulling up the shades. On the other side was a familiar face, standing on the black metal fire escape. She unlatched the lock and pulled open the window, leaning against the window sill. "You know, I have a something called a door. You might wanna try it sometime."

"Yeah, well, this way's more fun." Azera and the red-brown haired woman stared each other down. Then, just as suddenly as the stare down began, both women burst out laughing. "I see you're sarcastic as ever, Shion," the half demon woman said to her friend. "So, uh, mind if I come in?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah." Shion stepped aside, allowing Azera to climb through the window and into the apartment. She sat on the inner window seat, crossing her arms and legs. "What's wrong this time, Azera?"

"Huh?"

"You only come through the window when something's up. Spill the details." Azera opened her mouth to argued, but instead answered with a sigh. She got up from the window sill and sat on the bed next to her human friend. Shion's curious brown eyes could see something going on inside of her best friend's mind, then a smile form on her face.

"I met someone, Shion." The half demon woman turned to face her friend, her grin growing wider. "I finally met a decent guy. I swear, it's like a match made in heaven."

Shion's eyes instantly lit up. "Oh my... Really?" She let out a little laugh. "It's about time, Azera. Who is he? What's he look like? You have to tell me everything!"

"Okay, okay, relax," Azera answered. She took a deep breath before answering. "You know the demon Sparda, right?"

"Course I do. Who wouldn't?"

The black haired woman couldn't contain the growing smile on her face. "Well, I'm kind of dating his son Dante. You know, the one who owns Devil May Cry?"

Azera watched Shion's jaw drop. "Are you serious?" She nodded. Both girls began to squeal in excitement and started jumping up and down. The human pair of brown orbs caught sight of the white gold locket that floated in the air every time Azera jumped. "Dude, he bought you this? I swear, I'm so jealous!"

"Nice, right? He gave it to me yesterday..." her voice trailed off. Yesterday... She remembered what had occurred on her way home from the bar. Her smile faded and her shocking green eyes drooped. "Shion...I..." Her voice trailed off.

Shion saw the discomfort that had formed in her best friend's face. "Azera, what's wrong? Isn't it working out with him?" Azera twiddled her thumbs, meeting Shion's gaze with glazed over orbs. "Nyorexs is after me again."

"WHAT?" The human woman shouted, leaning back a little in shock. "No way! You've gotta be joking! PLEASE tell me you're joking!" When Azera didn't answer, she fell back onto the bed mouth agape. "I can't believe this. Why won't this guy leave you alone?"

The green eyed woman twirled a finger in her black locks. She remained quiet for a moment, finally choosing to break the silence lingering in the air. "It's worse this time, though. He sent someone after me last night. I nearly got caught, too." Shion sat upright again, this time with a serious look.

"Shit..." she muttered under her breath. "He just won't let up, will he?"

"I doubt it. Which is why I have to..." Azera couldn't complete her sentence. Shion looked at her, waiting for her to finish, then realized what she meant.

"No. Azera, no! You can't do that!"

"Do you have a better idea?" The brown eyed woman opened her mouth to protest, but no words left her lips. "Exactly. I don't have any other choice." Another silence filled the air.

"...Are you gonna tell him?" Azera hid her face behind her bangs, shaking her head.

"I couldn't bear to see the pain on his face if I did." She reached a hand up to her eyes. "Shion, I want you to come with me. You're the only one besides my brother who knows how to fight him. But I don't want to take Noah away from his wife and kids."

Shion smirked and got up. "Azera, you know I'd help you out either way. You're my best friend, for god's sake." She patted Azera's shoulder reassuringly and crouched down, reaching an arm under her bed. "Guess you'll finally have a chance to use these." She pulled her arm back, dragging a large case out with it. She lifted it up and placed it next to Azera.

"You've kept them there this entire time?"

"Why not? It's the safest place to keep them out of sight." She unlatched the clasp on the case and opened it, revealing three weapons. The first was a bow measuring four feet from top to bottom. It appeared to be made of titanium and chrome. The metal curved into swirls on each end, with an intricate design in the middle. The second weapon looked to be a machete with part of a dragon engraved in it. In actuality, it was a three foot long fan that spanned almost seven feet when open. When the fan was spread out, the dragon from the first part continued on to the end of the last piece. The top of each piece of steel and platinum was curved and sharpened into a thin blade, capable of slicing through the thickest trees. The last weapon was a double barrel revolver almost identical to Nero's Blue Rose. Along the top barrel was a painted design, consisting of several strands of color intertwining. On the bottom barrel, the words 'Guardian Spirit' were painted on with metallic gold acrylic paint. Lined in a row under the revolver were several small boxes, each containing bullets.

"Not a speck of dust on them. I'm impressed." Azera reached for the gun, staring at it. "What are you gonna use?"

"I got some new weapons. Hold on, I'll go get them." Shion walked toward the closet, pushing some clothes out of the way, and pulled out two swords. She returned to Azera and unsheathed the first one. It was a katana with a black hilt and sheath. "I named this one Tsukiyomi." On the end of the hilt was what looked to be a dragon's head made from metal. She sheathed Tsukiyomi and leaned it against the wall. She unsheathed the second sword, revealing a double edged blade. The hilt was made up of black rope wrapped around the end of the blade. "And here's Nishi Hikari."

Azera let out a low whistle. "Some pretty fancy names you got there." She put Guardian Spirit back into the case and closed it. Shion put her double edged sword back into its case and headed for her closet again. "Whatcha getting now?"

Shion smirked. "I figured since we're doing that, I might as well try out this new outfit." She pushed through the clothing and took out three hangers, throwing them onto her bed. There were a pair of dark navy jeans, a black tank top and a tight fitting jacket. Azera whistled again, making Shion grin and roll her eyes. "These clothes won't rip as easily, so they're suitable." She got out of the closet and took the clothes into the bathroom, returning a few minutes later wearing the clothes. Azera stood up and crossed her arms.

"Looks good on you." She grabbed the case of weapons and headed for the door.

"Oh, NOW you use the door," her friend complained. Shion threw Nishi Hikari over her shoulder and strapped it to her back. She tied Tsukiyomi around her waist and zipped the jacket up to her cleavage, following Azera to the door. They headed into the hallway and out the apartment building.

The street was mostly empty. Not unusual for a Sunday morning. But it seemed...too quiet. "Strange," Shion whispered. "There's usually at least one person walking down the sidewalk. Hey, Azera, you feel-" Her eyes widened when she saw Azera on her knees, clutching her chest and shaking. "Azera!" She ran to her friend's side and knelt next to her. "Azera, what's wrong? Get up!" Azera looked up at her. Both irises were a blood red hue. The white of her eyes was darkening to black. Unsure of what else to do, Shion unsheathed Tsukiyomi and struck Azera on the back of her neck with the blunt end. The half demon woman hit the ground with a thud. Shion helped her sit up.

"...Thanks," Azera said to her, slowly pushing herself off the ground.

Shion had only seen Azera's cursed side once, and that hadn't been in a while. "So that's why you're-"

"Yeah..."The green eyed woman stood up, holding the case securely in her hand. "He's never even seen Nyorexs before, so he wouldn't be able to do anything." She started walking down the street to her apartment, with Shion following close behind. Once there, Azera came up with a plan. By the time they'd finalized their plan, the sun was beginning to set. Shion got up and went for the door.

"I guess I'll see you later on tonight." She gave a weak smile to her friend, knowing what was going through her mind, and left.

Azera sighed heavily. She sat motionless on her couch for what seemed like forever. Not wanting to waste any more time, she dragged herself out of her apartment and placed the weapons case into the trunk of her car. She let out another sigh before walking to Dante's place.

Dante had his feet propped up on top of his desk and was leaned back in his chair, reading a magazine. Lady had offered to take Nero and Kyrie sightseeing and said she'd be heading home straight after. Trish took a call for a job out of town, so she wouldn't be back by at least the next day. As many times before, he had been left alone in his office. The place was so boring and quiet without those two women chatting it up. Hmm...maybe Azera was free. He could never be bored with her around. Dante and Azera had been going out for over a month now, and nothing ever got old between the two of them. He got up, tossing his magazine onto the desk and went for the front door. His hand reached for the knob and pulled the door open. To his shock, the familiar pair of shocking light green eyes were already there.

"Hey, I was just about to go to your apartment." He leaned toward Azera and put his lips firmly against hers. She kissed him back, holding his head in her hands. Dante's brow furrowed. Something wasn't right. He couldn't tell what, but the way her lips moved let him know something was up. He pulled away from her, putting his forehead against hers. "Is there something you want to tell me, babe?" he whispered to her. Azera shook her head and smiled.

"No, silly. Can't I be happy to see you?" She leaned back in and kissed him again, breaking away to walk into the office. Dante closed the door behind him and followed after her. "I see the place is empty."

"Yeah, well, I'm getting used to it," he replied. "You want something to drink?"

"Beer's fine." Dante walked into the back for a moment, returning with two glass beer bottles. He tossed one to Azera, who snapped off the metal cap like nothing. She took a long swig of her drink and sat on Dante's desk. "So you were on your way to my place."

He nodded, going back to his chair and propping his feet up again. "I figured since everyone else is busy, why not spend some alone time with my favorite girl?" A light pink color took over Azera's cheeks.

"Aw, you Casanova, you." She slid off the desk and jumped into Dante's lap. Maybe there wasn't anything on her mind after all. She didn't seem the least bit tense. Must've been his imagination. "I was thinking the exact same thing on my way over here." She placed her hand on his chest, forming small circles in the black cotton with her finger. "We haven't had some alone time in a while. What do you say to a little 'wrestling match'"? she asked him.

Dante set his beer bottle down and reached his hand up to her cheek, the other landing on her exposed shoulder. "Only if there are prizes." Azera got up from his lap and led him to the basement training area, a grin growing wider on her face with each step. "Do the usual rules apply?"

"Nope, no rules. All you have to do is pin me down." She crouched down and began circling Dante as if he were her prey. He did the same, keeping a sexy smirk on his face. Azera leaped forward and tackled Dante down, but was quickly flipped over and pinned to the floor. "Hey, I let you win the first round easily!"

"Sure you did," the silver haired man said back to her. He leaned closer and closer until his mouth was hovering right above hers. They laughed a little, but it was silenced by a captivating gaze into each other's eyes. Their breathing began to speed up. Dante's lips lightly touched Azera's, soon pressing harder against them. Her arms wrapped around his neck and deepened the kiss. He thrusted his tongue into her eagerly awaiting mouth, leaving not a single inch unexplored. He put his arms under her body and lifted her up. Not a second of the kiss was broken as Dante carried Azera out of the basement and up to his bedroom.

He set her down once they were in the room and moved his hand behind him to lock the door. Both half demons kissed each other hard and passionately, moving together closer to the bed. Dante pulled away for a second, asking her with his eyes if she really wanted to do this. He'd been careful to wait for her if she ever did want to take their relationship further. When Azera gave him a reassuring glance, he crashed his lips onto hers again. His muscular hands wandered up and down the sides of her body, pulling off her overskirt and tossing it across the room. Next to go were his gloves, then their boots, his coat and their shirts.

They fell backwards onto the bed, Azera laying under Dante. His lips moved down to her neck and he began to suck on it, nipping at her skin here and there. She tilted her head back and let out a quiet moan. Although she was enjoying every second of this, her mind and heart whispered heartbreaking words. You shouldn't be doing this. You're only making it harder on both Dante and yourself. She tried ignoring them, feeling Dante's warm breath hit her naked body. She winced a little when he entered her, digging her nails into his bare back. Pain soon left and made way for pleasure and ecstasy. As both their breathing sped up, more torturous thoughts made their way into her head. No, you have to go. Just get out from under him and leave. Leave before this goes any further. Azera fought back tears as the thought danced in her mind. But this was soon replaced by an overwhelming sensation of bliss take over her entire body. Dante felt the same soon after and collapsed next to her, catching his breath. Both half demons were consumed by exhaustion and soon submitted into sleep.

The sun rose to a brand new day. Rays of light emitted through the second story window and into the bedroom. Dante's eyes slowly opened and stared up at the ceiling. A smile worked its way onto his face. Last night had been the most incredible experience of his life. Now Azera was truly his. "Mmm..." He rolled over to where his lover was still sleeping. "Morning, beautiful. Hope you had a good ni-" His voice trailed off when he saw an empty spot next to him, where the black haired woman had fallen asleep. He sat up and noticed her clothes were not on the floor like they had been. She was nowhere to be found. "Babe?" Dante jumped out of bed, putting his boxers and pants on. "Azera! Azera, where are-" Again, something cut him off. Laying atop his dresser was a folded piece of paper, her locket sitting on it. He picked up the locket and stared at it. "Did she leave it behind?" His light skinned hand reached for the paper and unfolded it. His icy blue orbs scanned the paper, widening with each word.

_Dante,_

_By the time you've read this, I'll be gone. I'm sorry to leave without telling you, but I couldn't bear to see the look on your face. It'd be too painful. Both Nyorexs and my curse are getting out of hand. Nobody is safe from either one, not even you. So I'm leaving to find Nyorexs and end this, once and for all. I'm sorry, but you can't come with me. I don't want to risk your life. If I never return, I want you to move on. Your happiness is all that truly matters to me._

_I love you._

His hand was now shaking. Something warm and wet dripped down his cheek and onto the floor. Dante now knew why Azera had given herself up to him.

She was saying goodbye.


	17. What Lies Ahead

**Note: **Devil May Cry and its characters belong to Capcom. Shion and Summit belong to my friend ~The-Bone-Snatcher on DeviantART. Everyone else belongs to me.

**Re-cap:**

_First of all, sorry for the LONG delay. You know, being a junior in high school doesn't exactly mean you have a lot of free time anymore. That, plus a huge writer's block. But here's the long awaited chapter 17~_

_So last chapter was the epic climax. A lot of things happened. _

_First off, we were introduced to Azera's best friend Shion. Shion is one of the few people outside of Azera's family who knows about her heritage. They've been best friends since second grade, so they know EVERYTHING that happens in each others' lives. It's mentioned that Shion saw Azera's cursed side once before. Shion also confronted Nyorexs once with her best friend._

_Now for the most epic part of the chapter. Yes, Dante and Azera played horsey in bed. And yes, Azera left. Now, there were two major parts. First, the little lemon. I tried to make it seem as romantic as possible, but at the same time have Azera's thoughts conflict with her. Second, Azera's letter. Here's where she finally says those three magic little words. Too bad it's after she left that Dante finally knows._

_And you know what? I think I might introduce a few more new characters. If you see the name Summit, give credit to his creator ~The-Bone-Snatcher on DeviantART. If you see the name Bodil, she's all mine._

* * *

Azera's light jade green eyes remained on the road ahead of them. They'd been on the road for over two and a half hours, driving out of Elanay City and into Hasterfort, a smaller more rural town. It was a much greener place than the city, with more houses and families. Shion could see the sadness that lingered in her best friend's eyes as they passed through the streets. As they got closer to a large reservation, the brown eyed woman let out a sigh.

"Azera, pull over." The half demon did as she was told, pulling to the side of the road. Shion reached for the keys and pulled them out of the ignition. "Azera..." she started, "don't let this all get you down. Especially not the date." The date...it made her heart skip a beat. May 4th. Azera was now 30 years old.

"You know me too well, Shion," the black haired woman said without turning to her friend. "But how can I be happy, especially today? I killed my mother twenty years ago. This day can never be celebrated. And now..." Her voice trailed off. "Now...I don't even have the man I love."

The red-brown haired woman put a reassuring hand on Azera's shoulder. "You have me. And you always will, because your my sister and I care about you." She gave her a soft smile, which was returned. "There you go. Now come on, let's go beat that flaming haired bastard." Azera nodded and took the car keys, restarting the ignition and driving off.

* * * * * * * *

The front door to Devil May Cry flew open as Nero and Kyrie entered the building. Worry was clearly shown in both their faces. "We left as soon as you hung up," Nero started. "What's the problem?" Silence followed his question. Dante, who'd been sitting at his desk, folded his hands and rested his chin on top of them. Lady crossed her arms, sighing before handing the young demon a piece of paper. He took it, scanning his eyes over the print. They widened slightly before reading it again. Nero looked up from the paper to the two before him. "So...so she's gone...?" More silence followed, so he knew the answer was yes. "I don't get it. Why would she just go off on her own if she knew we'd help her?" Dante cringed a little at the mentioning of Azera.

"Apparently," Lady began explaining, "there's a demon out there that put a curse on her when she was born. It causes her Devil Trigger to take an alternate evil form, one that's trying to kill Dante."

"But that still doesn't explain why she'd go off on her own. Dante's a strong guy, he could handle h-"

"That's not all," Dante interrpted, surprising the other three. "When she was ten years old...Azera killed her mother."

Nero's eyes widened once more. "...What? She killed her-" He scoffed. "Is that even possible?" Lady opened her mouth to speak, but the front door opened before she could continue. Trish waltzed into the office up to Dante's desk.

"Any sign of her?" the elder demon slayer asked.

The blond haired demon shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I gotta say, she's real good at covering her trail. All I know is she left the city and headed toward Hasterfort-"

"Hasterfort?" Lady pondered for a moment. "I just got back from a job there this morning. There was a barrage of demon attacks all over the town..." Her voice trailed off as she began to pace the floor. "Wait a second..." Suddenly, she stopped pacing and ripped the note from Nero's hand, scanning it over. The brown haired woman looked up from the paper. "...I think I know why she went there." Lady headed for the door, grabbing Kalina Ann and securing it on her back. "Come on, guys. We have to go now!"

Dante immediately got up and satrted after her. "Huh? What do you mean? What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way." Everyone exchanged a concerned glance before following the hetero chromic woman.

* * * * * * *

"_Another one, Nyorexs? I thought we agreed on only one."_

_The red haired demon had his hands folded behind his back, pacing the cement floor between Vergil and another. The one standing behind him had cream colored hair that seemed as if floating in water, the bluish ends flowing through the air. His piercing red eyes watched the demon before him trot back and forth, trying to explain to Vergil what value 'the newcomer' would have to him._

_Nyorexs continued his pacing. "I know what I said,Vergil. But Calvaro can only do so much. Where as Summit here-" he motioned his hand to the cream haired man behind him- "He can do things not even the succubus can accomplish. Trust me on this, Vergil, my intentions are only to help you." He bowed before the half demon, looking up at him and meeting his icy blue eyes. "Have I given you a reason not to trust me?" A smirk came across his face._

"_Fine," the silver haired man replied after remaining silent for a moment. He placed his hand on Yamato's hilt and drew her, pointing the tip of the blade at his right hand man. "But if this is a trick, I swear to you, I'll peel off your skin and hang you to dry. Do we have an understanding?" Nyorexs put his hands up defensively, the smirk still plastered across his glowing golden skin. Vergil turned to Summit and walked up to him, sheathing Yamato. "Alright, since my advisor takes such pride in your abilities, prove to me how good you are. Go out and bring someone to me. A woman by the name of...Azera..."_

"Azera, huh?" Summit moved a pair of binoculars from his eyes, brushing his bangs out of his line of sight. He looked out from the rooftop and watched as a silver Volvo drove down the street, moving toward a dead end that led to a forest. "Hmm..." He stood up and began jumping from roof to roof, heading in the direction the Volvo was headed. "I guess it's time for a little reunion." The demon scaled the buildings, reaching the forest within seconds. He leaped onto a high branch and leaned against the trunk of the pine tree, waiting for the car to arrive.

He didn't have to wait very long. The silver vehicle soon pulled up to the edge of the forest. The front doors opened, and two women stepped out. "Ooh, she's brought her little friend, too." Azera and Shion both started for the trees, both armed with weapons. The black haired woman reached for her thigh and grabbed the handle of Guardian Spirit, her mother's gun. She put some bullets into the revolver and snapped it closed. Her friend unsheathed Nishi Hikari, her double edged sword.

"The passage way should still be here," Azera murmured, walking in between the trees. Shion followed close behind, keeping Nishi Hikari ready for an attack. Their eyes darted around, searching for the passage way that led to the demon realm. While they looked around, neither of the women noticed the cream haired figure watching over them.

"What's it look like again?" Shion asked, scouting out the surrounding area.

"Hopefully the same as when we were younger. Otherwise we're screwed." Summit laid his head against the bark, growing bored of just waiting and watching. "Come on, maybe it's deeper in." He sat upright the instant he heard those words. That was his cue to act. The red eyed demon swung up onto a higher branch and began scaling the trees further into the forest. The moment he disappeared in the canopy, Shion's attention was drawn toward the area he'd been sitting. She stared at the empty space, feeling as if something was off. Azera noticed and looked up toward the same area. "You see something?"

Shion squinted, staring at the same spot for a moment more before turning away. "Must've been a squirrel..." She and her half demon friend continued further into the forest, unaware that a certain someone was awaiting their arrival to the portal between two worlds.


	18. All Coming Together

**Author's Note:** Devil May Cry and its characters belong to Capcom. Shion and Summit belong to ~The-Bone-Snatcher on DeviantART. Everyone else belongs to me.

**Re-cap:**

_You may have noticed that Summit said 'little reunion'. He and Azera know each other, but there's a catch. You'll see for yourself just what that catch is._

_You may notice in further chapters that Nyorexs will seem a BIT more like a pervert xD I decided to make him seem that way just for your entertainment._

_And you know what? I think we need a little more action in this story._

* * *

Nyorexs and Vergil sat back, waiting for it all unfold. With the redheaded demon's powers, they were able to see everything perfectly through a small hole in between the two realms. Vergil tapped his foot impatiently. "How is it taking THIS long for him to bring back ONE girl?" he complained, crossing his legs.

"Didn't you notice her friend?" Nyorexs pointed out. "Shion may be human, but the girl's no walk in the park. I've faced her once before, and I must say, she's very skilled for a weak creature." The golden skinned demon got up from his bone adorned throne and walked toward a figure held against the wall by chains. Her light green tinted skin contrasted against both the dark stone walls and her long curly blood red hair. The woman's pinkish eyes glared at the man before her, her pupils reducing to a thin cat-like slit. "You hear that, my dear? Soon you'll have someone to keep you company."

She moved as far away as she possibly could, but he gripped her face and forced her to face him. "I always knew you were cold hearted," she began in a blunt double tone, "but I never actually thought you'd go this far. What are you planning?"

A sly grin came across Nyorexs' face. "Oh, Bodil...you know me too well." His orange eyes trailed down the vines and rose petals that covered her body. He caught sight of a few vials secured around her waist, each filled with a neon colored liquid. "I suppose I can share a few details with you, seeing as how the Rose Clan is doomed anyway." Nyorexs folded his hands behind his back and paced the floor in front of her. "The abilities of the Rose Clan demons are very unique ones, and they could possibly aid me in reaching my goal. As for Azera, she's a...'special one'."

"Special...?" Her pink orbs slightly widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Her mother was a beauty of a human. Just Roxanne's very presence was so enticing. I tried to give my heart to her, but she tossed it aside and went after another...someone I trusted dearly." His gloved hands tightened into fists. "And it just so happens that Azera is her daughter." The grin on his face grew wider and more sadistic.

Bodil's eyes widened even more with the realization of what he meant. "No...you don't mean-"

The golden skinned demon chuckled a little. "Yes. If I can't have Roxanne for myself, then maybe her little girl can provide some solace..."

Vergil was growing more and more impatient by the second. Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, he gave up on waiting. "That's it!" the half breed growled, pushing himself out of his seat and heading toward the exit. "He's taking too damned long to capture ONE woman! I'll just get her myself!" He stopped midway to the exit, remembering how he'd failed once before to capture the seemingly harmless woman. Nyorexs caught sight of this and went to say something, but Vergil was gone before he had a chance to do so.

"So..." the orange eyed demon pondered, placing his attention back on the rose demon, "What am I to do with you for the time being?" He slowly ran his hand along Bodil's jaw line. She cringed at the feeling of his touch and proceeded to bite his hand, sending a little bit of anesthetic poison through his system. Nyorexs pulled his hand back and shot his prisoner a glare. "Feisty, I see..." He ripped the vials from around her waist and opened one of them, pouring the neon orange liquid onto the snake-like wound. The dark green and blue liquid flowed out from the small holes in his skin, seeping into the orange liquid and vanishing. "Maybe this beautiful rose needs to be stripped of her petals and thorns." As those last words left his now upward curved lips, he shot the young demon with his dark red electricity. With every scream that came out from her, the electricity eradicated her being a little more.

* * * * *

Every few minutes or so, Shion would glance back at the same spot she'd been keeping a close eye on ever since they entered the forest. She never _saw_ anyone behind her, but she swore she could feel an aura emanating from the same point she continuously looked back at. And by the intensity, it was a damned creepy one. Azera noticed her friend looking behind them. "You SURE you're just not paranoid, Shion?" she asked. "You've already looked back at that same spot at least ten times."

"I'm not exactly sure," Shion replied, "I could've sworn I saw something jump off that branch, Azera."

"Eh, maybe it was just a squirrel, or bird or something." Azera flapped her hand, motioning for Shion to quicken her pace. They were gradually getting closer to the portal. Almost fifteen minutes had elapsed when they reached the desired clearing. Moss grew on the surface of every rock. Vines traveled up and around the rough bark of the pine trees. And in the very center...wait...no, it couldn't be! Her light green eyes slightly widened as they caught glimpse of the cream haired man standing before her. "Damian...?" Shion was in just as much shock as her best friend. Neither of them had seen him in almost two years.

Summit, known to the women as 'Damian', waltzed toward them. He grinned from ear to ear. He hadn't seen his dear Azera in a long time. "Well, look what the cat dragged in!" he exclaimed in what gave off to be a happy tone. "My my my, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Summit took Azera's hand in his, kissing the top of it lightly. "You're looking as ravishing as ever, Azera. You're still as beautiful as when I last saw you."

The black haired woman was still in a bit of shock. It'd been two years since she and Damian were together, right before he mysteriously disappeared into oblivion. While he continued to romance his former lover, Shion kept a close eye on the cream haired man. There was something...off about him. Something she didn't like. What it was, she had no clue, but she knew there was _something_ there that meant trouble. The brown eyed woman crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "So, Damian...where've you been all this time?"

Those words snapped her friend back to reality. Azera took a step back from Damian, still unaware of his true nature. "Yeah. Care to explain why you just disappeared on me?" She, too, crossed her arms. If there was anything Summit didn't like, it was a woman expecting an impossible answer. He took a moment to compose a lie, keeping the grin on his face.

"Well, uh...there was...a matter I had to take care of back in France that required me to move there." He'd lied to Azera and Shion before about his supposed humanity and being from France. But in retrospect, it was all just a bunch of bull crap he'd compiled together so as to not draw suspicion to his true purpose.

"And you couldn't tell me this _before_ you left?" Busted. In truth, he'd had to go back to the demon world to take care of...business. It was there in the western realm when Nyorexs first approached him with a proposal. The orange eyed demon's words still danced in his mind: _Come and join me, young demon. You have abilities that catch my eye and could be of some use to me. If you decide to follow me, I assure you, you will live a life of prosper._ That, along with a pair of convincing orange eyes, led Summit to where he was now. In deep shit, trying to explain to his ex-girlfriend why he suddenly disappeared while they were still together. "Well?"

He opened his mouth to try and give her some sort of logical explanation when he heard a voice call out from behind him. "What the hell is taking you so long?" The voice got closer and louder by the second. "My order was simple. All you needed to do was bring the black haired one back to Erratus Phasma." Erratus Phasma...Azera heard of that place before. It was Nyorexs' domain...

"Shion, get back!" she yelled out. Not quite understanding what was going on just yet, she jumped back a few feet and drew Nishi Hikari, pointing the blade at the second man who'd appeared. Silvery white hair, icy blue eyes, and a cold demeanor stood beside Summit. Vergil scowled at the human girl before him, not even bothering to draw his sword.

"Foolish girl," he started, his voice much icier than his eyes. "Do you truly believe you stand even a fraction of a chance against me? You're better off laying down that excuse of a weapon, as to save yourself from facing the piercing cut of my blade." Vergil slowly began to circle her, like a vulture carefully watching its prey's every move. He pushed up Yamato with his thumb, gripping its hilt and unsheating it. "So unless you want Yamato stabbed through your heart, I suggest you get out of my way. We're only here for her." He pointed the blade to Azera, who drew Affliction from her belt. She went to take a step forward, but Shion blocked her way.

"No, let me handle this one."

The green eyed woman stared at her friend in disbelief. "What, are you insane? He nearly got me! You won't be able to take him on!"

Shion turned back to Azera, giving a serious yet slightly excited expression. "Relax, Azera. I know what I'm doing. You deal with Damian." She nodded and turned her attention to the cream haired man before her, pointing the tip of her blade at him. The red-brown haired woman went back to staring down Vergil. A bead a sweat dripped down her forehead and off the side of her face. "You'd better watch closely, because I'm about to teach you why you shouldn't underestimate your opponent, human or not!" Shion immediately sprinted forward, getting ready to slash the half demon standing before her.


	19. Unexpected Reunion

**Author's Note:** _Capcom owns all Devil May Cry characters and franchise. Shion and Summit/Damian belong to ~The-Bone-Snatcher on __**DeviantART**__. The rest of the characters belong to me._

_As you may have noticed, __**Those Green Eyes**__ has reached and passed the midpoint. The story will probably be only around ten more chapters before the end of it. And since we're approaching the end, I'm putting in all the action xD What action am I adding? Well, you can try and predict the next chapters. But you'll still have to wait for the final results when each new chapter is put up x3 So have fun with your predictions. And send me a few if ya want!_

_~Infernal Blossom_

* * *

The three motorcycles raced down the nearly empty high way, all in a V-shape. Leading the way were Lady and Trish. Nero and Kyrie were to their left, Dante to their right. They'd left Devil May Cry around two hours before, headed for Hasterfort. Dante's icy bule eyes were glued onto the road ahead of them. And not only on the road, but on the goal ahead.

To destroy Nyorexs, and to keep the woman he loved safe.

"Hey, Lady," he called out ahead. She turned her attention to him, making sure to pay attention to the road. "How much further until we get there?" The heterochromic woman looked ahead to Hasterfort. The trees were slowly becoming bigger.

"About five more miles, but we've gotta hurry. Some pretty nasty demons tend to show their faces at night." Lady knew that all too well from a job call around a year and a half ago. She hadn't finshed killing them all by sunset, and was then nearly killed herself. She glanced up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, not a good sign. She revved the motorcycle and sped down the highway, the other two following suit.

* * * * *

"You'd better watch closely, because I'm about to teach you why you shouldn't underestimate your opponent...human or not!"

With those words, Shion dove into the battlefield. Her brown eyes remained on Vergil, who stood in the same spot. He didn't seem the slightest bit intimidated by the human. When she got closer, he jumped out of the way of her attack, landing behind her. "I already told you, girl, drop your weapon. It's useless against me." She ignored what he said, turning to the demon in blue and swiping her sword. She was barely able to cut him, getting only a small portion of his cuff.

"You're a fast one," she told him, jumping back a few feet. "Guess I'll just have to step up my game." Shion shifted her stance, switching Nishi Hikari from her right hand to her left. Vergil immediately noticed this, but took no action. He was waiting to see what would happen next. The red-brown haired woman placed her free hand on the hilt of her katana and unsheathed it. The carbon steel blade reflected the light from the setting sun onto her target. At the end of its hilt was the head of a dragon, made entirely of iron. The sword intrigued Vergil. Never before had he seen a katana of such structure. Shion could see the gleam of interest in his icy orbs. "I see you like my sword. This baby's called Tsukiyomi. He has a bit of a...'special quality' to him. Allow me to demonstrate." Shion strolled over to the nearest tree and swung Tsukiyomi at it. Seconds passed with nothing, absolute silence. Then, Vergil's expression changed from cool and collected, to shocked, as a large portion of the tree split from the whole and fell to the ground. The human woman looked up at the white haired man with a sly smirk, pointing her double edged sword at him. "Have you learned not to demote me for only being a human, or do I need to carve it into your skin?"

Vergil quickly regained his composure, cracking his neck. So this is what Nyorexs meant. "I'll admit it, you're quite skilled for a mere human." He followed her actions, pointing Yamato at her. "But you're still no match for me."

Shion tilted her head to the side. "I'll take that as a no. Guess I didn't do a good enough job convincing you!" With that, Shion and Vergil charged toward each other, the true battle finally beginning.

On the sidelines, Azera and Summit were watching the fight between the human and demon unfold. "Wow," Summit whistled, "isn't that a shocker. Now...what was I going to do? It's on the tip of my tongue. I just can't remember..." He snapped his fingers. "Ah, that's right." The cream haired demon quickly spun around and sent a kick toward Azera. She realized what he was doing at the last second and blocked his kick with Affliction, just in time. However, she wasn't expecting it to be as strong as a demon's, and was sent into an oak tree. The green eyed woman pushed herself out from the pile of wood created from Summit's kick, shaking some leaves out of her hair. "Whoops. I forgot, you're not used to my strength." The tone of his voice was so sarcastic, something Azera hated hearing in a guy's voice.

"You bastard!" she yelled out at him, now on her own two feet. "We were together for five years! How could you lie to me?" Azera scowled at Summit, dashing toward him. He smirked, jumping over her and landing on a tree branch. The black haired woman looked up at her former lover, glaring. "Get back down here so I can kick your ass!" She could hear Summit starting to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, Azera. I'm just surprised it took you so long to notice. I had no idea you were _this_ oblivious!" He ceased his laughter, putting on a more serious face, but still smiling. The gray hue in his eyes began to disappear, revealing the true red color underneath. "So now that you know the truth about me, I guess I can let you in on one of my tricks." He lifted up one of his hands and wiggled his fingers. "Have you ever seen a live puppet show, Azera? I'm pretty sure you'd love it!"

Just as those words rolled off his tongue, the half demon woman felt a strange sensation come over her. Her arms and legs suddenly refused to listen to her mind. They wouldn't move as she commanded them to. She could barely even move her hand. "Wha..? What did you do to me?" Summit laughed a little again.

"Aw, don't you look adorable as my puppet!"

Azera's eyes widened. "Puppet...?"

Summit nodded. "That's right. Every single one of your movements is under my control. Like...THIS for example." He moved his middle finger down, which caused Azera's left arm to twist behind her back. She yelled out a little from the pain, but he just pretended to cringe. "Ooh, that looked like it hurt a bit. Here, let me help you stretch." The cream haired demon stretched his hand open a little, causing her body to do the same. The more he opened his hand, the further out Azera's arms and legs moved. Her eyes shut tight. As she tried not to let him know how much pain she was in, she suddenly felt her body stop moving. Her eyes darted up to Summit, who had a bored look on his face. "You know what? I feel more in the mood for some dancing. What about you?" Azera felt her head nod, though she hadn't done it herself. "Ooh, do you? Well then-" He jumped down from the tree, landing right in front of her- "let's do a little tango." Summit moved his fingers up and down, which made Azera move as if she were dancing. The half demon woman tried to stop herself, but the power he had over her was just too great for her to handle.

"Dammit, Summit, let me go!" Summit laughed as he watched her wriggle and squirm in his grasp. "And quit laughing! This is NOT funny!" He laughed harder, making Azera grit her teeth.

"Fine, fine," he said to her after his face nearly turned red from laughing so hard, "I'll let this be a fair fight." He lowered his hand, and Azera could feel her own control coming back over her body. Summit crossed his arms and blew his bangs up in the air. "You know, you're a real bore compared to when we first started dating. It's like my leaving sucked all the fun right out of you." He turned away from her and began pacing the floor.

Azera rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that crap. You're the one who decided to leave in the first place!"

As the former lovers argued, Shion and Vergil were still at it. The half demon, to his surprise, had a few scratches on him. The human woman also had some cuts, many more than her opponent. Both were beginning to grow tired, but neither was about to back down from the fight. Their blades clashed over and over again, causing sparks to fly everywhere. Vergil didn't want to admit, but she was the strongest human he'd ever faced. Stronger than Lady, and even Arkham.

"What's the matter, half demon?" Shion asked him. "You seem to be a bit slower than before." Sweat and a little blood rolled down her forehead and dripped onto the ground. "Am I too fast for you now?"

Vergil shook his head. "You wish it were like that," he answered, "but I'm just getting warmed up." He summoned a group of etheral swords and began firing them at her, one at a time. Shion was able to block all of them, except for the last two. One cut along her shoulder, while the other left a long gash across her waist. It only opened up a tiny flap in her shirt, but it was enough for Vergil to see some of her skin. A chill ran down his back when his icy orbs caught sight of the light skin hidden behind dark clothes. _Strange..._ he thought, _What's this weird sensation I feel?_ The white haired man shook off the feeling, thinking of it only being a distraction. But in the back of his mind, he still wondered about the feeling.

As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, Dante and his gang finally made it into Hasterfort. Lady directed the group to the forest. Once they reached the start of the trees, the elder half demon saw Azera's Volvo parked right in front of the pine trees. "Guess this is the spot," he muttered to himself. He smelled the air, his eyes widening a bit.

Nero noticed the scent, too. "Seems like there's a human there. I smell Azera, too, but..." His eyes reduced to slits.

"The other two scents," Trish finished for him. "They're not ordinary demons, I can guarantee that. These two have minds of their own." The group readied their weapons and ran into the forest, each step bringing them closer to the portal and Azera. This time, Dante lead the group. Quickly, he could see flickers of moonlight shining in between the trees. He was almost there. Dante was almost tempted to use his Devil Trigger to make them pass by faster, wen he finally entered the clearing.

"Azera!" he called out. His voice immediately caught her attention. She didn't know exactly how to react. A sense of confliction overtook her mind. They smiled at each other as Lady, Trish, Nero and Kyrie joined him. "Azera..." Dante inched toward her, seeing the expression on her face. "It's alright, Azera. I'm gonna help you." He reached a hand out to her, hoping the woman he loved so would reach back to him. His eyes left her for a second to glance at the other three around her. One was a cream haired, red eyed man. Definitely a demon, but he seemed like an odd one. The other woman was obviously human and even resembled Lady in a way or two. And the last- Dante froze. No...no, it couldn't be... "Vergil...?" The concern that was clearly shown on his face was now replaced with that of extreme shock. All the other's faces held the same look. Right in front of them was Vergil, Dante's twin brother, the half demon who was thought to be dead. "Verg...is that really you, Vergil...?"

A similarly surprised look was on the elder twin's face. He hadn't seen his brother in years. Vergil stared at him for a minute more, then turned his attention back to Shion. "What are you doing here, Dante?" he asked in a cold tone, the same one Dante remembered. "I don't have time for you." He lunged at Shion, Yamato clashing with Tsukiyomi. She swung Nishi Hikari at him, making a deep gash in his arm. Again, he felt the same sensation as before. A chill where he cut her. Not that of poison, but something else. Something he just couldn't figure out.

Azera kept her light green orbs glued on Dante, not sure what to do. _Should I go back with him, or do I leave him behind again?_ Just as she was beginning to gather her thoughts, a suden pain jolted in her chest. She cringed and fell to her knees, doubled over in pain. The half demon woman began panting heavily. _Dammit, not now!!_ She knew her cursed side wanted so desperately to take over and try to kill Dante again. But she couldn't let it. Azera looked up at Dante, seeing the horror written all over his face. The white of her eyes had started blackening, the dark red electricity flowing around her body, her irises taking on a blood red color.

Shion, knowing how to stop the transformation, went to run to her best friend's side. However, a strong blue coated arm stopped her. Vergil took the back of his sword and rammed the hilt into her neck. The brown haired woman staggered for a second, before passing out and nearly hitting the floor. "Vergil," Summit called out to his partner, "I really think we should get going. I don't want that red headed bastard up my ass for being late."

"Just get the girl and we can be on our way," he replied, slinging Shion over his shoulder. He turned around and sliced the air, opening the portal. Before stepping in, Vergil glanced back at his brother and smirked. "So good to have seen you, brother, but it's time for me to move on to bigger and better things." The half demon walked into the portal. "Make sure you live by your words and don't waste any time."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Sheesh...what a stuck up bastard." Summit scratched the back of his head and took a step toward Azera, but was stopped by Dante's voice booming out.

"If you do so much as TOUCH her-"

Summit crossed his arms, a bored look on his face. "You'll what, half breed? Slice me to bits? I'd _love_ to see you try." He rose a hand above his head and wiggled his fingers, which summoned a miniature army of lesser demons from the ground. "But first, you'll have to play with my companions here. Don't worry, they're great playmates." He threw his hand down, signaling for the demons to strike. As they lunged at the demon slayers, Summit waltzed over to Azera and punched her in the back of her neck. Right away, she collapsed, unconscious. "Come on, Azzie. Time for a little trip to the demon world." He hoisted Azera up onto his back and carried her through the portal to Nyorexs' lair, Erratus Phasma.


	20. A Conversation

**Author's Note:** _Devil May Cry and its characters belong to Capcom. Shion and Summit/Damian belong to ~The-Bone-Snatcher on DeviantART. Everyone else belongs to me._

_Ooh, what a fun chapter that was. Looks like Vergil's found a rival...or maybe something more 3 But, who knows what'll happen? And her weapons – Tsukiyomi and Nishi Hikari – those are ~The-Bone-Snatcher's REAL weapons x3 Thanks for the idea, Shion!_

_Now...Summit. He's a hilarious one xD He's sarcastic and gets bored very easily. Ah, Summit. You're my favorite OC that Shion made xDD And Shion, I'm glad you let me make him Azera's ex-boyfriend._

_So now, let us move on with the story, shall we? Many twists await. _

_~Infernal Blossom_

Ever since waking up in her cell, Shion had been trying to break out and save her best friend. She tried every way possible to escape from her prison cell, but to no avail. Her swords had been taken from her. Kicking down the door couldn't even be attempted because it was made of six-inch thick iron. There were no bars on the open hole serving as a window, but it was too high even for jumping. And unfortunately for her, she wasn't tiny enough to fit through the single crack at the bottom of the wall. She sighed. "Dammit..." Shion leaned against the stone wall and slid down to the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "I hope Azera's alright."

"Do you mean the young woman Summit carried in?"

The red-brown haired woman jumped when she heard the high pitched female voice. Her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice.

"I'm down here, miss." Shion looked down and found a dark gray rat sitting up on its hind feet, returning the glance. She raised an eyebrow at the creature.

"Uhh...was that voice...you?" She pointed to the rat, who nodded in return. The brown eyed woman pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Oh boy...I'm here for who knows how long, and I'm starting to go insane. And I thought I was the least freaky one..."

The rat scurried closer to Shion, making sure not to frighten her. "You aren't crazy, miss. I really do talk. But that is only because-"

"You're a demon, I know," she finished. "Still, I'm not really used to talking rats." Shion reached a hand out to the rat, who climbed on. She lifted it up to eye level. "So do you know anything about what's going on here?"

"Well," the small creature began, "Nyorexs is plotting to take over the entire demon realm. He wants to become the overall king. And after that, he plans to destroy the human world."

"I knew that. But what does this have to do with Azera?"

Just as the rat opened its mouth to answer, the large iron door creaked open. The two turned their attention to the figure entering the cell. Shion could feel the animal in her hand begin to shiver as he got closer to them. His blue eyes glared down at them. "What are you doing here, Bodil?" Vergil slowly moved his hand up toward Yamato's hilt.

Bodil jumped off of Shion's hand and ran out through the crack before he could get any further. The human woman rose to her feet and glared back at Vergil. "You're the one who brought me here." She scowled, looking closer at him. "Where's Azera?"

"What does it matter to you?" he asked back in a cold tone. "You aren't going to be reunited with her. She belongs to Nyorexs now."

Shion deepened her glare as much as she could. "What does it matter to me? She's my best friend, practically my sister! And what does that salty old bastard want with her this time?"

"It's none of your concern, woman." The woman crossed her arms, feeling her blood begin to boil. Right off the bat, she could tell he was going to be a jerk, but not at this level. Shion leaned against the wall, keeping her eyes fixed on Vergil.

"You may not _think_ it's any of my concern, Jack Frost-"

Vergil growled at her. "Do NOT call me that!"

Something clicked in her mind, and the brown eyed woman's expression changed to fake boredom. Looks like she'd be able to get some sort of kick out of this situation. "Well I forgot your name," she lied, "so I gave you a new one." She really did know his name, but she wanted to annoy the man who knocked her unconscious and brought her to Erratus Phasma. "Besides, I think it fits you quite well. I mean, look at how pale you are! And not to mention your hair and how icy your eyes are."

As she continued on, Shion closed her eyes and tried to imagine him dressed as Jack Frost, for a good laugh. However, she unintentionally started picturing him in a way she never expected. His light, pale skin that was cold to the touch, yet so soft when her hand brushed up against him in battle. His snow white hair that he'd spiked back, which allowed her to get a good look at his eyes, that pierced like hundreds of tiny little icicles with a cold demeanor. His voice, which could both send a chill down her spine and soothe her at the same time. Underneath his cerulean coat, a well toned physique that she could caress day and night. And his lips – soft, smooth, supple to the touch...

Her eyes flew open when she felt a hand wrap around her throat. Her cheeks, which had taken on a slight pink tone, returned to normal. Vergil slowly lifted Shion off the ground and slammed her against the wall. He leaned close to her and lowered his voice to a whisper. "If you're here to play games, you're going to wish you never got involved in the first place." Shion tried prying his hand off of her, struggling to breathe. The half demon released his grip on her, letting her fall and hit the concrete floor. He turned to leave, but stopped when he felt the woman's hand grab the tail of his coat.

"Wait." He turned to face her again. Shion's brown eyes were no longer filled with hatred. It was instead replaced by a calm yet serious look, one he hadn't seen in many years. "Why are you working for Nyorexs, Vergil? What could he possibly have offered you that would convince you to serve him?"

He wasn't expecting to hear anything close to that. Vergil pulled his coat tail free from her grasp and met her glance. "Nyorexs has promised to restore my demonic power. He brought my blade back to me, and has provided me with everything I need to regain my full strength. That includes your friend."

_Of course_, Shion thought. _The classic promise of power._ "So you go ahead and trust him right off the bat?" She rolled her eyes. "For a half demon, you must be really stupid." His eyes widened very slightly at how she was able to so easily tell that he was a half demon.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice becoming cold again. "I made sure many times that he was intent only on assisting me."

"Pfft. You are so clueless." The red-brown haired woman stood up and crossed her arms, and began pacing in front of him. "Obviously, you haven't known this guy for as long as I have. So out of the kindness in my heart, let me provide you with a few pointers about Nyorexs." As she walked back and forth, she started counting on her fingers. "One: He's a six thousand year old demon, so he knows his way around the park very well; Two: He's a conniving son of a bitch who only thinks of himself; and Three: He'll use anyone he can get his hands on, by any means necessary." She stopped directly in front of Vergil, her arms still crossed.

"So you mean to tell me that Nyorexs, the man who has given me all I have asked for, is not the slightest bit trustworthy?" He shook his head in disbelief. "And why should I trust you, human?"

Shion groaned. "My name is Shion, so you can stop calling me 'woman'." A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "Look, I know your type. You seem like the bad guy at first, but in reality, you're just the REAL bad guy's pawn. So I'm just trying to help out a poor unfortuante soul whose become Nyorexs' newest toy. It's your choice whether or not to trust me." Vergil stood there for a moment more before heading for the door again. As he reached for the doorknob, he mumbled something Shion couldn't quite hear. "What was that?"

"...Thank you..." Vergil repeated louder, and he left her cell, locking the door behind him.

The human woman felt her cheeks flush again as his words danced around her head. _He thanked me..._ Suddenly, the image from earlier returned. She could once again see the many amazing features about the white haired man, especially those icy blue orbs of his. Once again, her eyes quickly opened, and she raised her hands to her now hot cheeks. Why was she having these thoughts for someone who was clearly an enemy?

Was Shion slowly falling for the cold hearted Vergil? Shion shook the thought from her mind. No...no, that was impossible. She couldn't be, in any way whatsoever, even the slightest bit attracted to the elder son of Sparda.

...Right?


	21. Of Betrayals and Curses

**Author's Note:** _Devil May Cry and all its characters belong to Capcom. Shion, Lucien and Summit/Damian belong to ~The-Bone-Snatcher on __**deviantART**__. Everyone else belongs to me._

_Well, I finally submitted the long-awaited chapter 20 of this glorious story. So let us reflect on what happened:_

_Looks like Shion's got a chapter all to herself! But wait, what's this now? Bodil was turned into a RAT? Aw, poor little thing! Nyorexs withered her petals! And what else? Vergil and Shion had a little chat! Aw, Vergil, you idiot. Haven't you learned not to trust those closest to you? Ah well, it's not my problem. I'll let Shion handle this one._

_And not only that, but it seems more romance is blooming._

_...And because the storyline calls for it, I'm adding one last character. Don't worry, he's a minor one xD_

Bodil continued running as fast as her new body could move. Once she was sure she couldn't be found by Vergil again, she stopped. The rat demon took in her surroundings, which now seemed much bigger due to her size. She already missed her old self, with her large pink eyes, beautiful light green skin and luscious blood red locks of curly hair. She missed her family even more. She knew she had to somehow return to normal.

...But how was she supposed to do that? Nyorexs had taken the vials that had been tied around her waist, and they held the antidote. And who knows where he could be in this huge castle?

Wait... Bodil knew where he was. She started running again, staying close to the wall so she could sneak into a hole if a threat appeared. Unfortunately, because of her new body, she had to stop every now and then to catch her breath. "Damn you, Nyorexs," Bodil would mutter in her high pitched voice. "When I get my hands on you, I'll give you a taste of your own medicine!"

"What if Nyorexs were to hear you talking like this?" The dark gray rat froze when she heard a voice coming from behind her. She turned her little head and saw Summit staring down at her, his hands in his pockets and a bored look on his face. "If he hears you saying things like that, the curse he placed on you will only get worse." Bodil squeaked out of fright and tried to quickly get away from the cream haired demon, but he grabbed her and picked her up before she could escape. She squirmed around in his hand as he lifted her to eye level. "Geez, relax. It's not like I'm gonna eat you!" After a moment she finally calmed down. "That's better." He opened his hand, allowing her to sit in his palm.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm already in enough agony?" Despite being a rat, Bodil was somehow able to show him the despair in her eyes. "Please, just leave me be."

"And why should I?" he asked her, sounding a bit sarcastic. "It's not as if you're the only one in the old bastard's box of play things." Summit glanced at the ground. "He's got my brother. I only joined him so I could set my brother free, that's all. Once I can free Lucien, I'm severing all ties with orange eyes." His red eyes met hers again. They were serious and truthful, something very surprising for the cream haired demon.

The rat nodded. "Okay." She sat upright in his hand and scratched behind her ear. "...I'll support you in any way I can. Although in this state, I cannot do much. I can only return to normal if I drink the antidote, but Nyorexs stole it when he cursed me."

Summit grinned. "I'll make a deal with you. If you can locate my brother, I'll get the antidote for you." He held up his fingertip, and Bodil pressed her paw against his skin. "Then I'll be able to see that pretty face of yours."

What had originally been the miniature demon army was now a pile of corpses. Lady pulled Kalina Ann's blade out from one of the dead bodies, wiping some sweat from her forehead. "I never thought that would end," she said to the rest of the group.

Nero wiped away the demon blood that had accumulated on Red Queen. "You can come out now," the blue eyed teen called out to his girlfriend. Kyrie came out from behind one of the trees and stood beside him. She glanced over to Dante, who had walked over to the spot where Azera was taken from him.

He knelt down and picked up her sword, remaining silent. Playing continuously in his mind was the image of her dropping to her knees, trying so hard to supress her cursed demon side. It hurt to see her in so much pain. He wanted to help her, but she didn't want him to get involved, which hurt even more.

"I know how you're feeling right now," he heard Nero say to him. "Don't worry, though. I got Kyrie back, and you'll get Azera back." Nero put a reassuring hand on the elder half demon's shoulder. Dante heard three more pairs of footsteps come closer, and he felt three more reassuring hands. They all knew in their hearts that they'd rescue their new friend. And slowly, Dante began to feel the same. He rose to his feet and put on a determined look.

"Hey, Trish. You mind opening a portal for me?"

"Not at all," she replied. The blond demon stepped in front of Dante and summoned electricity to her hands. She slashed at the air, opening a portal. "Be careful out there. We'll be waiting for both of you." The silver haired man nodded and gave a thumbs up before walking through the portal to Nyorexs' lair.

Nyorexs stepped into one of the prison cells, a smirk plastered on his face. He stopped in the center of the room, looking up at Azera. She was chained to the wall at her wrists, suspended a few feet in the air. "Time to wake up, my dear," he mused.

As if right on cue, Azera's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurred at first, but it cleared quickly, allowing her to survey her surroundings. "...Where am I...?" Her shocking green orbs flew past the golden skinned demon, then went right back on him after realizing who he was. "You..."

"Good morning, Azera." Nyorexs took a few steps toward her. "It's been too long. Remind me again, when was the last time we saw each other? Your eighteenth birthday, or your nineteenth, perhaps?"

"I'm not entirely sure," she answered, scowling at him. "But I do know that this reunion's come a little too soon. After all, you're still alive."

The ancient demon standing before her chuckled lightly. "I see you've still got quite the temper." His orange orbs glanced at her emerald amulet. "I also see your father's seal has worn off. I'm actually surprised to see it lasted so long. Oh, well. Guess there's no point in you keeping this anymore." Nyorexs reached up to her neck and swiftly ripped away the amulet.

Her eyes widened when she saw what he'd done to her mother's gift. "Give that back!" she yelled. "That's important to me-" Her voice was cut off when she felt a strong stinging pain emerge in her chest. The red haired demon shot some of his dark red electricity around her heart to silence her.

"That's enough out of that mouth of yours," he told her, no longer smirking. Nyorexs ran his hand through her hair, moving up to her cheek. "Now...are you going to cooperate?" She didn't answer. "Well?"

Azera met his eyes, glaring him down as much as she possibly could. "Fuck you, and all you stand for." She spit at his face once the words left her lips. That action earned her a hard slap in the face. The second his hand collided with her cheek, her entire head flipped to the side and hit the wall. A cut formed where he'd slapped her, and blood trickled down her cheek.

Nyorexs turned away from her, folding his hands behind his back. "Vergil." As soon as his name had been called, the elder son of Sparda walked through the door. "Do me a favor and teach Azera here some respect. However, be sure to leave her alive." Vergil pulled out Yamato from its hilt and took a step toward Azera. Nyorexs' smrik returned as he went to leave. "What a shame it is that you'll never get to hear why I had you brought here in the first place." The blue eyed man lifted his blade to slash her shoulder.

"Get away from her!"

A flash of red dove right between Vergil and Azera, redirecting the katana to the shackles. Dante caught Azera before she hit the concrete floor with one arm, while the other held up Rebellion and parried Vergil's attack. Summit, Shion and Bodil followed close behind, ready to attack Nyorexs. "Sorry I'm late, babe." Hearing his voice made Azera softly smile. She missed hearing his cocky tone. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fin-" Azera suddenly felt an all too familiar pain erupt in her chest. She'd felt it before, but never this intense. The half demon woman quickly stumbled out of Dante's grasp and ran toward the wall. She fell to her knees and clutched her chest, heavily panting. Dante took a small step toward her. "No! Stay away **from me!"** she ordered him. The Sparda twins drew back their swords, and everyone brought their hands to their faces when a strong spiraling wind began to blow. Azera's eyes began to turn red and black. Her skin started turning gray and growing scales. Her ivory black hair became all frizzed and white. Dark red electricity swirled around her body. Nyorexs roared out in laughter.

"Come on out, Azera! Or should I say...Calvaro..." A dark figure rose from the exact spot where Azera had been standing. Vergil's eyes widened when he saw that Azera had transformed into the very demon that had been serving him for the past few months. His sights went directly to Nyorexs, the icy orbs demanding an explanation. " Ah, yes. There are a few little details I'd forgotten to mention." A sly smirk formed on the golden skinned demon's face. "You see, Vergil, I sent you to bring me back Azera because she's also Calvaro, and she was trying to hide behind your baby brother over there. She was supposed to have been fully consumed years ago, but her damned father kept getting in my way." The figure slowly made its way over to Nyorexs, meeting the eyes of everyone she passed. Calvaro stopped once she was next to Nyorexs and turned to face everyone, the same expression on her face as her master. "And one more thing, Vergil. Since my pet here is now in full control of her host's body, I'm afraid your services are no longer required." Before the elder half demon could say anything, the red haired man rose his hand, quickly dropping it. "I'll leave them to you, my dear."

The gray skinned demon giggled sadistically. **"Of course, master."** She vanished, appearing next to Vergil, and went to grab him with her now gauntlet-cursed right hand. Shion quickly ran in between them and took Yamato from Vergil. She parried most of her once best friend's attack, but gasped when a bolt of dark red electricity flew into her shoulder. **"Stupid human..."** Calvaro muttered in her double-toned voice, **"do you really believe you can stop me?"** She applied more force to her cursed arm, causing Shion to skid backward. **"You're a pitiful excuse for a living creature."** The human woman looked back at Vergil, a mix of pain and frustration written all over her face.

"Why the hell are you just standing there?" she yelled at him. "Get your ass up and make yourself useful! Go get my swords!" Calvaro jumped back and shot more of the poisonous electricity at her. Shion braced for impact, but Vergil pulled her out of the way before the attack could hit her.

As they evaded Calvaro's various attacks over and over again, Dante and Summit went after Nyorexs. Althought still a bit suspicious of him, the silver haired man gladly accepted Summit's help. They assisted each other in avoiding the orange eyed demon's afflicted powerful electricity. However, neither one of them could find a good opening to slice him up a few times, not even once. He was too fast, both in dodging and striking. "Dammit...stay still!" Dante complained, which only made Nyorexs laugh. While the half demon kept him busy, Summit found a slight opening and decided to take the small window of opportunity to retrieve Bodil's vials. He lifted his hand and shot out an invisible second hand, taking ahold of the vials. He pulled back and the small tubes of potion followed. Placing them safely in his pocket, the cream haired demon continued battling it out with his brother's captor. Bodil, who had disappeared just before Azera transformed, returned with another red eyed demon. His dark hair hung down in his face, covering one of his eyes. In each of his hands were Shion's swords.

Nyorexs caught sight of this and raised both of his arms. Instantly, a large amount of dark red electricity shot out from all around him. It pushed everyone against the walls and nkocked their weapons from their hands, leaving him and Calvaro standing. "Now I have some breathing space," he commented sarcastically, brushing off his shoulders. "I must say, you've proven to be quite the threat." He glanced up at Dante and Shion. "Especially you two."

"Yeah, well let me show you how much of a threat I REALLY am!" Shion cried out, before being shocked by his electric hold on her. Dante tried with all his might to free himself from Nyorexs' grip, but the demon's powers were just too strong.

"Azera!" he yelled, still trying to free himself. "Azera, come on! Snap out of it!" The only response he got was Calvaro meeting his gaze. "AZERA!"

Nyorexs laughed loudly. "Try to call her all you want, half demon. Your efforts are futile. Azera is no longer there." Dante shook his head in disbelief. "Perhaps you need a demonstration." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, Calvaro. Do me a favor and kill off these useless creatures, starting with Dante."

The gray skinned sucubbus pulled Dante out of his inescapable hold and slammed him onto the cold concrete ground. Her laugh was louder and more sadistic than before. **"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy tearing you to bits!"** She tightened her hand around his body.

"Babe..." Dante started, trying to keep her from crushing him, "it's time to wake up! If you don't, I'm gonna have to kick your ass!" He managed to slide out of her grasp and jump out of the way before she could grab him again. "I don't wanna have to-" he dodged her electricity- "force you to wake up!" Calvaro pinned him on the floor once again, holding her sharp gauntlet fingers against his throat. She licked her lips and blew a kiss, mocking the half demon. As she lifted her cursed hand to deliver the final blow, Dante took the chance to escape again. The sucubbus went to approach him, but he tackled her down. He took ahold of Rebellion and slammed it into her hands, pinning her arms above her head. "Azera..." Dante leaned closer to her, her blood red eyes meeting his icy blue ones. They were filled with sadness. "Azera, please...You have to break free from this curse." He sat up, keeping his eyes locked on her. "...I don't want to have to kill the woman I love, especially like this. Please, you have to find the strength to free yourself-"

Nyorexs apeared in front of them, his arms behind his back. "Calvaro, do not listen to this lowlife. Do as I command and kill him."

"Stop calling her that!" Dante snarled. He got off of Calvaro and glared at the red haired demon. "Her name is Azera, and she's not your pawn to use!" Nyorexs rose his hand and shot his electricity at the half demon, wrapping it around his neck and lifting him in the air. "Finish him now!"

Calvaro watched as her master strangled the man her host loved so much. The sight of it caused a strange sensation to develop in her chest, near her heart. **"What...what is this?"** She heard a voice echo in her mind. _No...you...can't...have me..._ Azera argued. **"You wench! You're too weak to overtake me!"** she argued back. She looked back to Dante, who was still struggling against Nyorexs. _Dante...no..._ Her eyes began fluctuating between blood red and her normal light green.

"Dante!!!"

There was a sudden explosion where Calvaro had been.


	22. Inner War

**Author's Note: **_**Devil May Cry **__and all its characters belong to __**Capcom**__. Summit, Lucien and Shion belong to ~The-Bone-Snatcher on __**deviantART**__. Everyone else belongs to me._

_Hey guys, it's been a while. I mean, a LONG while. I've had a major writer's block for quite some time. That, and the copy of TGE chapter 22 was on a flash drive that suddenly broke. I haven't had any luck with it being fixed, so there goes two and a half pages down the drain...sort of xD I'm just glad my imagination's overactive, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to memorize some of it._

_Anyway, I'm now a senior in high school. I started this story after the end of my sophmore year, and I'll finish it before I graduate. After this, I may do a sequel-prequel combo. It all depends on if I've got the time and patience, and if my fans would like one._

_Until then, Infernal Blossom_

_Azera studied herself in the mirror. Her shoulder length wavy black hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and her bangs didn't hide her left eye. The then twelve year old girl smiled at her reflection._

"_You look beautiful." She felt a pair of hands lightly touch her shoulders. Durasco looked back at her through the mirror, warmly admiring his only daughter. He wanted to tell his youngest child how much she resembled her mother, how her beauty radiated from her skin, but he held his tongue. The ancient demon knew better than to mention his deceased wife in front of Azera. He'd been careful not to do so for two years now._

_The green eyed girl, however, already knew what he was thinking of. Her smile faded a bit. "...Dad?" she started, which got his attention right away. "Do you think I'll ever get to see my demon side?"_

_This caught him off guard. He didn't expect his daughter to ask about the one thing she'd never be able to see. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Azera...I'm afraid not. Your sickness drained all the demonic power from your body. It's physically impossible for you to take on a demon form." He heard the black haired girl's voice go from questioning to despair._

"_Oh..." Her eyes dropped to the floor. A tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Durasco wished he could take the pain away from his only daughter, but that was out of his power. He wished deeply to be able to uplift the curse bestowed on her by his former best friend. Most of all, he wished he didn't have to resort to sealing away Azera's demon side after it killed her mother. For the first time in his 5500 years, Durasco felt helpless._

_The pale skinned demon wiped her tear away and wrapped his arms around Azera in a comforting hug. He forced a soft smile on his face and whsipered in her ear, "But if you were able to...you'd be as beautiful as your mother."_

-0-0-0-0-

"_...As beautiful as your mother..."_

Azera's shocking green eyes flew open. Her father's words rang in her head, over and over again. "Dad..." She slowly rose to her feet, observing her surroundings. There was nothing around, only darkness. She couldn't even see the ground. "Where am I?" Then she remembered. The curse had gotten to its peak, where she couldn't supress it anymore. Azera no longer had control over her own body, not even of her consciousness. "No..." Despite the situation she'd been put in, her voice was surprisingly calm.

The half demon woman began to walk around in the dark void as she tried to figure out how she got there. The last thing she remembered was feeling an extreme burning pain in her chest, right around her heart, and then nothing. _Am I...dead?_ She wondered. _Is this supposed to be my final resting place, or some kind of purgatory? No... No, I can't be._ Her eyes continued to wander in the darkness, searching for something – ANYTHING – to show that she was still alive. But to her dismay, no such sign existed in this strange setting. Azera looked up at what she assumed to be the 'sky' of the dark purgatory. She wanted to escape from this cursed body. She wanted to be able to at least rest in peace, instead of having her mind be destroyed by the embodiment of her affliction. Her eyes closed as she relived the first time the curse took over her.

She'd just turned ten years old when it first happened. It had happened on her birthday, in fact. Azera and her brother had gotten in an argument over something she couldn't even recall. She just kept getting angrier and angrier...until she couldn't control herself anymore. Her emotions went out of her control. As her anger built up, so did a burning sensation in her chest. The burning and pain got worse every time her heart beat. Azera could hear Noah trying to calm her down, but she just couldn't.

Just as quickly as her rage and burning built up, the young half demon closed her eyes and felt nothing. The pain vanished before she could register what had happened. She couldn't see, hear or feel anything. It was almost as if she'd fallen asleep. Then Azera opened her eyes and yawned. She felt refreshed from what she thought was a nap. But when her father and brother told her of what happened, and when she'd discovered the few cuts on her body, her heart sank. "A demon attacked and knocked you unconscious. Your mother tried to destroy it, but it killed her. I was able to destroy it before it killed you too, but it had already sucked away your demon powers. Azera...you'll never be able to transform into your demon side. I'm sorry." The months following her mother's death were hectic. She didn't leave her room and barely talked to anyone. But on the one year anniversary of that tragic day, the young girl realized that she couldn't let the downfall of the woman she loved most tear apart her entire life. She wiped away her tears and replaced them with a newfound strength, the strength she found when wearing the amulet her mother made for her.

A voice interruped her thoughts. **"Azera..."** Her eyes darted around, looking for its source. **"Come on, you pitiful thing. Turn around."** Azera did just that, and caught sight of something she thought she'd never see. Standing before her was the embodiment of her cursed demon side. Calvaro.

"So we finally meet," she replied calmly. "Calvaro." The black haired woman looked her demon side up and down, raising an eyebrow. "I must say, I'm surprised by your physical appearance. I didn't expect you to look so..." She tilted her head to the side. "...Obscene."

"**You're not much to look at yourself, sweetheart,"** Calvaro answered, crossing her arms. The cursed embodiment circled her host and glared at her. **"I honestly don't see what Snow Dome sees in you. He can do **_**so**_** much better. Why, just look at-"**

Azera slammed her foot on the ground, cutting off Calvaro. The slamming noise was filled with rage, unlike her expression. "Don't speak of Dante like that. You have no idea what a woman's capable of when she hears her man being insulted." Calvaro cackled.

"**Ooh, was that a threat? Where'd you find this new confidence? Because it sure as hell wasn't there when I took over."** The cursed demon side's maniacal smile vanished, replaced with a deep scowl as she raised her gauntlet hand to her host. Dark red electricity flowed out of her fingertips and wrapped around Azera's neck, slowly lifting her off the ground. The smirk returned on Calvaro's face. **"Come on, little girl. Show me some more of that 'confidence'."** She got no response. **"Aw, what's the matter? Has the once strong-minded half demon decided to finally give in?"** Her host remained silent, their eyes meeting. **"Hmph, you're pathetic. You don't deserve to be alive, let alone say you have demonic powers. You're just as weak as your mother. Another pathetic excuse for a living creature."**

_My mother..._ Azera closed her eyes and pictured the one woman she could ever give that title to. She remembered her mother's flowing strawberry blond locks, paired with jade green orbs and a calming smile. Roxanne always knew the right things to say when her family members were feeling down, and a kiss on the forehead would always seal the deal. Azera loved her mother so much. And when she lost her one female role model-

"...era!" she suddenly heard. "Azera!" the voice shouted again. It was Dante's voice. Her mother's image faded, and a new one came into view. Dante, her beloved, reaching out to her. His icy blue eyes and worrying voice were pleading her to wake up. "Don't make me have to kill you..."

Her eyes shot open. "Dante...he's trying to save me." She then felt the electricity constricting her neck, cringing from the stinging pain of it. She stared down at Calvaro, whose grin had grown wider.

"**Now, Azera,"** she started, **"I think it's about time you left this body for good. One body doesn't have enough room for two people. Don't you agree?"** Calvaro loosened her grip on Azera's neck, allowing her to fall to the ground. She retracted her gauntlet arm, and threw it back at her host, shoving her tainted claws right through Azera's chest. She let out another cackle and gripped her heart, squeezing it tight. Azera gasped, feeling blood seep out from her mouth and chest. **"This is the end for you, my dear. Goodbye, and good riddance!" **She squeezed Azera's heart one last time and sent a lethal amount of the electricity into her.

Everything went silent. Azera remained motionless. Her head had slumped down, her eyes hidden beneath her hair. Calvaro grinned, a dark chuckle escaping her lips. **"Pathetic."** She went to let Azera fall, when she suddenly felt something strange inside the half demon's chest. Her heart didn't feel like a normal heart. It was almost as if it'd grown a metalic shell. Aside from that, why was it still beating? She'd killed her host's mind and soul. Calvaro shook off the thought and squeezed Azera's heart once more, and the same thing happened. This time, though, it wouldn't move at all. Her heart had become brittle. The cursed embodiment looked up at Azera's face, and her blood red orbs widened. **"No...it's not possible..."**

Azera started straight back at her, the ebony locks floating away from her face. Her eyes were no longer their normal light green. They now emitted an irridescent hue, as well as a glow. Color swirled in them, her skin beginning to glow with every beat her heart took. The half demon woman stared down at her curse, her expression unwavering.

"You were wrong, Calvaro. This is the end for _you_."


	23. The Cost of Freedom

**Author's Note: **_**Devil May Cry **__and all its characters belong to Capcom. Shion, Lucien and Summit belong to __**~The-Bone-Snatcher**__ on _**deviantART**_. Everyone else belongs to me._

_So how are all my fans doing? I know it's been a while between when I posted chapters 21 and 22. But I can assure you that for now, the writer's block is GONE! So you can all do your happy dances and breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that this story WILL be complete soon._

_And you know what? I've suddenly got a burst of new ideas for this story! So here they come, the final chapters of __Those Green Eyes__!_

_Oh, and be sure to check out my newest story, __Les Miserables__. If you're looking for an emotional roller coaster, that's the story for you~!_

_~Infernal Blossom_

Everyone shielded their eyes from the smoke and dust brought up by the explosion. The winds from it pushed Dante, and even Nyorexs back. Bodil held on tightly to Lucien's clothing, trying hard not to be blown away. The electric barrier keeping Shion and the others bound to the wall began to falter from its controller's slight loss of control over it. Shion saw this and used the opportunity to break free of Nyorexs' hold on her. She landed on the ground feet first, rolling out and turning to Lucien, who still had her weapons. "Yo, em boy!" she called to him. "Toss me my swords!"

"I have a name, you know," he sarcastically replied. The black haired demon threw down Nishi Hikari and Tsukiyomi, which Shion caught without letting them drop. She stood up and started running toward Nyorexs, and swung at him. He, however, saw her attack a moment before she'd swung her blade and evaded her attack, retaliating by spinning around and throwing a thick band of his poisonous electricity at her. She parried his electricity with Tsukiyomi, but lost her grip on the weapon when she felt her shoulder sting, the sensation beginning to creep down her arm and steadily toward her chest. Shion was sent backwards, and her back hit the wall. She fell to her hands and knees, wincing from the burning pain. She'd forgotten about Azera ramming her hand into her shoulder and sending the toxic current into her system. And now she felt its effects. Hard.

"No..." she muttered to herself, "...Azera didn't do this to me. She was forced to...by that...jerk!" Shion began to pant and yell from the voltage pulsing inside of her. _This must be what Azera's had to deal with for twenty years._ It was, but being only human, it damaged Shion more severely. She didn't have any demonic blood to attempt to fight it. Not a single drop. The human woman dropped to the ground, struggling to breathe and pull herself up. "Come...on, stupid body..." A large surge of pain suddenly hit her, causing her to scream. Her eyes shut tight, her hands closed into fists, her knuckles turned white. Blood dripped from her wound and the corners of her mouth. Her clothing gained dark crimson stains as a matching colored pool grew around her body. And then, she fell silent.

Bodil watched as Shion cried out with every pulse of Nyorexs' attack swimming through her veins. The rat knew that only being human, she had only hours to live, barely a day at most. She couldn't bear the thought of anyone dying at the hands of Nyorexs, especially not a human. Bodil climbed down to Lucien's shoulder and jumped over to Summit. "Did you get the vials for me?" she asked. He nodded, motioning his head down to his hand. The little rat carefully slid down his torso, making sure to not be touched by the electric rope holding everyone against the wall. She made it to his hand and pulled the cork from the first vial she could reach. Bodil slowly lifted the vial from Summit's hand and tipped it over her mouth, pouring the orange liquid down her throat. Her body started to flash a soft green. The small demon climbed back up Summit, hopping onto his head and jumping off. The rat's fur fell off, revealing green tinted skin and bright red locks. Her eyes returned to their normal pink as she gracefully landed on her feet, back in her original form. Bodil stared down at her hands for a moment. She was free from Nyorexs' curse at last. But before she could celebrate, she had a more important matter to attend to. The heiress ran toward Shion and kneeled next to her, placing a finger on her neck. "Come on, come on..." she pleaded. Then she felt a pulse. A very faint one, but that was better than no pulse at all. She lifted Shion's head and whispered, "This may hurt a bit," before sinking her fangs into the girl's neck. The human woman woman let out a weak yelp when she felt another foreign substance, Bodil's anesthetic, enter her bloodstream. "I'm sorry." She had to get the poison out of Shion's system quickly, or else she was going to die a slow and painful death.

While Bodil tended to Shion, the smoke suddenly cleared from the area and the wind ceased. Everyone's eyes fell on Calvaro. She was on her knees, arms to either side and blankly staring at the ceiling. Nyorexs raised an eyebrow at this. Why was she acting so strangely? He took one step toward her and heard Dante protest again. "Get away from her!" he yelled. Without turning around, the orange eyed swung his arm at Dante and shot yellow gas at him. The younger son of Sparda covered his face and skidded back to avoid the gas that now prevented him from getting any closer to Azera. He pulled out Ebony and shot at Nyorexs, only to have it ricochet against the gas and graze his shoulder. Dante gripped the hilt of Rebellion tight and swung at it, but the blade bounced off. Rebellion collided with the gas again and again, sparks flying when it hit the barrier.

"Try all you want, boy," Nyorexs called out to him, "but you'll never be able to break through it with your weapons. And if you attempt to run through it, the sulfuric vapors will fill your lungs and kill you before you hit the ground." The red haired demon smirked and continued on toward his cursed slave. "Get up, Calvaro. You have work to do."

He got no response. "Did you not hear me? Rise now!" Calvaro remained as she was, gradually moving her eyes on him. She seemed to have great difficulty moving, even to speak.

"**Master..."** she said, her voice greatly weakened. Then out of nowhere, her gauntlet arm rose and swung forward. Her claws ripped deep into her chest cavity. Dark purple blood poured out as Calvaro opened her hand, splitting her skin and ribcage open. She reached in and wrapped her cursed hand around a black swirling substance resting on top of her heart. Nyorexs watched as his creation cried purple bloody tears and tore the substance out of her own body, not even letting out a single scream of agony. The scales on her body began to peel off, her right arm began to crack and the blood began to evaporate. Her eyes crackled and burned as she called to him again. **"Master, I-"**

Then her voice ceased to call to him. All the dark matter on her right arm broke away when she tightened her fist around the black substance. It swirled around for a split second before being enveloped in a blinding white light and removing it from existence. Soon, her whole body was taken in by the same light. Another gust of wind hit Nyorexs, blowing away the gas barrier put between them and the others. He was pushed back a few feet, despite his best efforts to fight it. A growl came from deep in his throat. "Do you really believe you'll be able to break free? Fool! You're under MY control!" Nyorexs gathered sulfuric gas in one hand and his dark red electricity in the other, and put both hands together. Now floating in between the two was a dark orange cloud, electric currents traveling in and out of it. He grinned sadistically. "I hoped it wouldn't have to come to this, but you leave me no choice!" The red haired demon hurled the doom cloud at the light beam. He knew the vast amount of poison in his concoction would certainly keep his little slave under control. The cloud impacted the light. Sparks flew everywhere...

...And then it vanished. Nyorexs' eyes widened with disbelief. "What? How can that..." Growing angrier, he conjured up another one, this time five times larger than the first. He shot it at her, but this time, it was thrown back at him and twice its size. The cloud slammed into Nyorexs, burning through his shirt and a hole into his slightly scaled skin. It knocked him into the stone wall behind him. His usually neat hair was ruffled by pieces of stone cracking off and falling on him. A stray one sliced his skin, creating a deep gash that stretched from his cheek to his sternum. Nyorexs bared his teeth in Calvaro's direction. "You little...!" The ancient demon hadn't been touched, let alone injured in the slightest, by another since that fateful day over thirty years ago. And now, to see his own attack thrown back at him again... "I will not allow such insolence!" Gold aura began to surround him, and everything around began to shake. His eyes were turning darker, more brown.

Dante caught sight of this and took a deep breath, a strong demonic scent entering his nose. "Fuck, that's definitely not good." He switched on his Devil Trigger and flew straight for Nyorexs, ready to run him through and kill him while he didn't notice. Dante raised Rebellion above his head and prepared to deliver the final blow.

"Stop, Dante," a voice suddenly echoed. He obeyed the voice without knowing it, landing on the ground and returning to his human state. The white haired man lowered his blade and turned to the light beam, the source of the voice. The beam began to vanish. The being that stood behind it was far from the cursed succubus he first encountered over a month ago.

"Azera..."


	24. It's All Coming Back To Me

**Author's Note: **_**Devil May Cry **__and all its characters belong to Capcom. Shion, Lucien and Summit belong to __**~The-Bone-Snatcher**__ on _**deviantART**_. Everyone else belongs to me._

_Wow, I can't believe I'm actually up to chapter 24 of this story. It seems like only yesterday that I posted up chapter 1 of this story...even if that "yesterday" was back in July of 2009. I can't believe how far the story's gone. My friend __**Inky Battlefield**__ has helped me with the final development stages of this story, so be prepared for quite an ending._

_I was listening to my iPod when finishing up this chapter, and the song _**It's All Coming Back To Me Now**_ started to play. Sme of the lyrics matched parts of this chapter perfectly, and thus, the song title became the chapter title too._

_Also, be sure to check out the stories written by my friend __**Shion Taylor**__, especially __Devil May Cry: Revolution__ and its sequel __DMC: Restitution__. Azera might make an appearance in Restitution, and will possibly even become a major character. What's more, her looks and personality will be a bit different. So watch out for that story!_

Azera had wanted to see her demon side from the time she learned about her special blood. She remembered the day her brother Noah activated his for the very first time, and how excited he was. He'd been eleven years old when his skin changed to match their father's, and the words their father told them about their demonic powers.

"Listen closely," Durasco told both of his children. "You two are not like any other children in this world. You've inherited something very powerful from me. Now, this power is not something to be taken lightly. Possessing something like this is a great responsibility. You'll have to learn how and when to use it on your own." It was true. Even being a demon, Durasco had given up his immortality and powers so he could live and die happily with his wife and children. There was no way he could regain his powers, so the children were left to learn on their own.

Noah learned easily without his father's help. His younger sister would watch him practice using his powers in the backyard, and every day, hope that her transformation would come soon. Her brother would smile reassuringly and pat her on her head, saying, "Don't worry, Azzie. Once you're my age, you'll be transforming like nothing and we can practice together." And a transformation did occur, but it had resulted in a tragedy that would change the young half demon girl forever.

But that was behind her now. _Thank you, dad,_ Azera told herself silently.

The beam of light that came out from Calvaro slowly faded away. Dante and the others kept their eyes on the figure that appeared from behind the light. Nyorexs glared, his gold aura thickening. Then out of nowhere, he leaped toward where Calvaro had been, red electricity flowing all around his body. "You dare defy me!" he yelled out as he got closer to her. "You will pay for that!"

Suddenly, he stopped. The ancient demon felt something metallic gripping his arm, tightening quickly. Claws dug into his skin, and a hand spun him around a few times before throwing him into the wall. Nyorexs flew through the thick stone and disappeared.

Dante watched the red haired demon be tossed aside like a used toy. He then turned his attention to the light source, and his eyes widened. The succubus that had originally been in that spot was no more. Instead, the figure that stood in her spot was a thing of true beauty. She looked more like an angel than a half demon. Her pale scaled skin shone brightly, shimmering like diamonds in the remnants of the light around her. The long iridescent locks flowed down from her head and turned into a vanishing mist at its ends. A matching set of eyes looked back at everyone, calm and glowing brighter than her skin. Her torso was barely covered in patches of silken metal pieces, and when it touched her shoulders, it became a cape of the same material, encrusted with two large jewels and dragging behind her on the ground. The metallic silk wrapped around her left arm like strings and formed an armored gauntlet on her right, with another large jewel on her shoulder. Her legs turned into armored boots, and one last jewel rested just below her collarbone in the center of her chest. Every gemstone on her new body started to flash a ghostly glow around them.

"Azera..." Dante repeated, taking a step toward her. He couldn't believe his eyes at first. Her looks and expression were completely different from the ones he'd seen in her cursed form just a few moments before. The once twisted and sadistic smile was replaced by a relaxed and confident stare. She now possessed that look in her eyes that made the white haired man feel a little at ease.

Without looking at what she was doing, Azera lifted her gauntlet hand in the direction of the group still trapped against the wall. She opened her hand and faced her palm towards them. Immediately, the electrical hold was sucked into her palm, vanishing into oblivion. Summit and Lucien ran to where Shion lay on the ground, still being treated by Bodil. "How is she?" the black haired demon asked the rose heiress, a slight tinge of worry lingering in his voice.

"She's alive," Bodil answered, "but barely. We have to get her someplace with more plants so I can create an efficient medicine to stop the poison." She paused for a moment, tightening her fist. "If not, she'll die before sunrise."

"Tch." Summit tapped his foot impatiently. "Damn that Nyorexs. With him around, we need to work fast to open a portal. Come on, bro." The two demon brothers reached into their shirts and pulled out a pair of matching necklaces, both holding vials with the other's blood. They touched the necklaces together, and a purple twisting vortex appeared before them. "Let's get a move on!" Bodil dug her arms under Shion's limp body and quickly lifted her. Lucien ran into the portal, stopping halfway to aid the others. Summit and Bodil ran as fast as their legs would carry them to the portal, but skidded to a stop when an enormous bolt of dark red electricity hit the ground in front of them. Smaller bursts branched out from the bolt and knocked everyone back, including Lucien, who fell through the portal and helplessly watched it close before his eyes, leaving his brother and Bodil still stranded in Erratus Phasma.

Summit had seen the lightning bolt from the corner of his eyes just in time, but he knew Bodil hadn't. He was able to push her out of the way right before it struck. However, a stray burst caught the side of his stomach and sent him a few feet back. The mark left behind took the form of a long whip lash, the damaged area burnt and smoking a bit. When he went to touch it, little bits of voltage shocked his hand. The red eyed demon growled deep in his throat when Nyorexs came up from the hole in the wall. He showed off an unreadable set of eyes paired off with a small smirk, despite having his own attack used against him just a short while before. "Did you miss me?" he asked everyone sarcastically. "I apologize for leaving my guests without a host for that moment. But I assure you, that will not happen again." The relaxed nature of his voice tapered off as he glanced at Azera, and he bared his teeth again.

"Nyorexs," Azera started, "I must thank you. It was because of the curse you placed on me that I can now act on what my father taught me." She began to walk closer to him, his rage growing with each step she took. "You know, I always thought my demon side being cursed was only a bad thing. But you gave me the opportunity to fully understand what my said to me all those years ago before I made a mistake. It all came back to me. Thank you, Nyorexs. You should feel good. You've done a good deed for once in your excuse for a life-"

The orange eyed demon didn't want to hear her voice echoing through the room. He created another electric sulfur cloud behind his back and held it tight. "Silence!" he yelled as he hurled the toxic ball at her. But before it could make contact, Azera's cape split in two and hardened, turning into large metal wings. She shielded herself from his attack with them and sustained no damage. Nyorexs growled louder. He'd put so much effort into preventing this from happening, and to see his plans fall apart angrered him greatly. "You disgust me. You're just like your father, you and your brother both. That's why I did what I did."

Azera smiled lightly. "Are you sure that was your reason for cursing me? Because I believe you did it out of jealousy." He growled again, showing that she was on the right track. "I thought so. Now, enough talk." She moved her wings behind her again and soared into the air. "Let's finish this, once and for all."


End file.
